


The Beginning

by LandonRichardson



Series: The Danni Saga [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: F/M, Male Danny is actually female Danni, based on the pilot, long chapters, ohana feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-03-16 09:25:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 77,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3482978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LandonRichardson/pseuds/LandonRichardson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Danni Williams moves from New Jersey to Hawaii due to a custody arrangement with her ex-husband, all she wants to do is to do her job, keep her head down and survive the time she has to stay there. The last thing she expected was to meet Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, a man whose motto in life seems to be shoot first and ask questions later, and end up not just on his task force but also as his new partner. It's certainly not easy but Danni has a job to do and one way or another she is going to do it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a simple Monday morning

**Author's Note:**

> This story started off as a bet with a friend about a year or so ago. We were discussing the series and she made the comment that it would have been interesting if there had been two girls in the team instead of only one and we came to the agreement that Danny would be turned into a girl to see whether anything would change and lo and behold it did.
> 
> I never planned to put this story up here even though I consider it my greatest work, merely because I'm terrified about how people will react to it but I hope against hope that you all enjoy it and are willing to give it a chance. It's actually going up here because of another bet so... fingers crossed.
> 
> Danni is the only character who switches gender, everyone else remains the same apart from obviously Rachel who becomes Duncan instead... there are going to be own characters in it but I promise that every character in it has a part to play and I've tried my best to keep it as realistic as possible.
> 
> The only other warning I should say is that the chapters are often long chapters so enjoy

________________________________________  
23rd September 2010  
Danni Williams and Grace Taylor's home  
17 Ahe Alanui  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
________________________________________

Danni Williams came awake with a sudden start, jerking her head off of the warm smooth surface it had been resting on and looked around her in confusion, her hand automatically lowering to her waist where she normally kept her gun.

She blinked rapidly, tilting her head to the side as she listened carefully for any sound which might have indicated to her that she wasn't alone in the house but there was nothing, the only thing which broke the silence surrounding her was the sound of her own breathing. She reached up and rubbed at her eyes, feeling the tension ease slowly out of her shoulders as she lowered her hand and looked around her, her eyes moving across the familiar pale yellow walls and light wooden cabinet which took up the majority of her small kitchen.

She was alone in her house just like she should be. The same as she always was every other Monday while her seven year old daughter was with her father. There was nothing out of place which meant that she had simply woken up under her own stream.

"Not again Danielle" She muttered to herself, slumping down in her chair as she rubbed tiredly at the back of her neck, massaging the muscles and trying to work out the little kinks her awkward sleeping position had left her with. Falling asleep over the kitchen table was beginning to become a bad habit for her and yet it was a bad habit which was becoming more and more frequent since she and her partner Meka Hanamoa were handed the John McGarrett case and ordered by their captain to solve his murder and bring the killer in or to expect a number of equally shitty cases coming their way as punishment.

Normally solving a case wouldn't be a problem for them and that had been proven with this case as well, they had known by the end of the first day what had happened to John McGarrett. The problem they were facing was arresting the man who had committed the murder in the first place.

Danni glanced towards the window, her eyes lingering briefly on the sunlight which was spilling across the counter tops through the partially closed curtains. Sunlight which told her two thing, the first was that she had slept through until morning, wasting precious time which she had needed to double check all their evidence and second that it was going to be yet another scorcher of a day in paradise, something which Danni could have happily done without.

She breathed out nosily, her eyes moving away from the window to stare down at the numerous photographs and reports which were spread out across the table. Normally she would have had them locked away out of sight of Grace in case they upset the young girl but with Grace safely at her father's for the weekend she had been able to give them the time she needed to without the constant worry about what Grace might see them and get upset by them. Not that the extra time to study the case had actually done her any good. All she had was the name Victor Hesse and absolutely nothing apart from the witness statement to link him to the murder.

As much as she hated to admit it, there was no way that the statement would be enough to convince a jury of Hesse’s guilt. If they didn’t have the forensic evidence to support the charge, then the DA would drop the case and Hesse would simply walk and there would be nothing they would be able to do about it. A witness statement however compelling it might be, would not be enough to put the man behind bars where he belonged. They had to find something else.

Danni reached down and picked up one of the photos from the top of the pile and stared down thoughtfully at the face of John McGarrett. She wondered whether he had any idea that three months after the photo had been taken he would be dead, shot in his own home at point blank range execution style while his only son was forced to listen on the phone unable to help him in any way.

He looked normal to her, just like she expected any sixty eight year old who had lived in Hawaii for most of their life to look like. He had been tall and of an average weight according to the ME’s autopsy report. Short grey hair covered his head with no sign of receding and his skin had been tanned from continual exposure to the relentless Hawaii sun. He looked healthy in the photo, smiling at whoever took the picture though Danni could detect that there was a tenseness around his pale blue eyes and mouth as though there had been something at the time the photograph was taken which had been troubling him. Something which he had been unable to stop thinking about even though he had been out with his friends for a fishing trip. Whether that issue had something to do with his murder she didn't know but it would have to be an angle she needed to look into. She was making the assumption that the murder had been because of the son but assumptions in their line of work were dangerous. They couldn't assume anything.

Her mind drifted back to the crime scene, rerunning what she had seen there in her mind, her eyes narrowing in thought as she tried to spot anything in her memories which she might have missed the first time round. Something which she might have over looked because she hadn't realised at the time the significance of it. It was difficult to know though, by the time she and Meka had been handed to case by Captain Hookano, it had already been three hours old. They had hightailed it over to the McGarrett house but they had been too late, by the time they pulled into the McGarrett driveway the place had been crawling with members of the Crime Scene Unit snapping away with their cameras trying to capture everything before the scene was disturbed further by all the uniforms milling around the place.

She had been approached by Agent Walker Humphries who was one of the senior field agents on the CSU team. He had immediately filled her in on what they had learnt so far and it hadn't been good news for them. There had been no discernible fingerprints that they had managed to obtain, just the odd smudge here and there. There were no hairs or fibres from anyone other than John McGarrett in the house either. The only thing which they had found had been a partial bloody footprint on the living room floor. Danni’s shoulder had hunched down at the news, a headache brewing behind her eyes. The chance of them actually being able to match the soleprint of the boot to Hesse was slim to none, even if they did the defence would simply argue that it was a common boot and anyone could have purchased a pair. There had been nothing else out of place other than the body which had been slumped down in a chair, a spray of blood and brain matter coating the white wall behind him and the actual murder weapon which had been sitting innocently in plain view on the table in front of the body.

The gun bothered her. Why did he leave it there? Victor Hesse had taken the time to clean the scene of evidence, leaving nothing behind him which could incriminate him or link him to the scene of the crime and yet he had left that gun in plain view of everyone who would enter the living room. He had, had both the time and the means of disposing of it, since it had taken the uniform officers fifteen minutes after the call from one of the son's SEAL unit had come through to dispatch, to gather themselves, call their SWAT team and head over to the crime scene and yet he hadn't bothered which told Danni that Hesse wanted them to have the gun. The only question was why? The logical answer was that there was something about it which he wanted them to know, some clue he wanted them to find. Danni hated when the criminal in their cases involved themselves in some way and tried to play games with them. Normally she would ignore every attempt and just rely on the other evidence gathered. This time however there was no other evidence which meant that for once she would have to follow where Hesse was trying to lead them. It would be the only way to find their way to him.

She didn't know much about the man in question, only that Victor Hesse had been the name which the son had given his commanding officer during his debriefing after the incident had gone down. Danni had read the transcript of the interview as soon as the Commanding Officer had faxed it to them. It had been an interesting read, the son, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, had been clear and concise in the report stating that Hesse had made contact with him via his personal mobile phone during what he had called Operation Gemini. Hesse had made an unreasonable demand which McGarrett had been unable to agree to, a gun fight between Hesse's men and the unit Steve had been travelling with, had occurred in which Hesse's brother Anton had died and Hesse upon finding out the news had retaliated by killing McGarrett's father. Danni hadn't picked up on any sign of the grief which the man must have been feeling but she also didn't expect to. Military men, especially those within the special force branches such as the Navy SEALS or Army Rangers, were taught to stick only to the facts, everything else including their own personal feelings were irrelevant.

Knowing the name of the killer had been a bonus but it had done her and Meka little good. The Honolulu Police Department had no information on Hesse on their database and every attempt which Danni had made to find out more about the man she was hunting had been stonewalled. She had even gone as far as to contact the Navy, asking to speak to Steve McGarrett directly to question him about Hesse, only to be told politely but firmly that the Commander was currently unavailable to speak to and that a message would be passed to his Commanding Officer saying that she had called.

It had been beyond clear to her though that she and Meka were on their own in this case, if they wanted to find out anything then they would have to do it themselves or allow Hesse to escape. They had figured out small things. They knew that Hesse had to be good at fighting and that he had practice with a gun, he also clearly had no problem with killing someone meaning he had done it before. Danni knew that Hesse was still on the island somewhere but where he could be hiding was beyond her. Without any concrete information on the man everything they came up with was guess work. She needed to get into the man's head so she could figure out his movements otherwise he would escape the island.

There was a part of her which truly believed that the McGarrett case was due to go cold and unsolved. She should simply write up her report and pass it to Captain Hookano to sign off and turn her attention onto the next case they were given. A case where she actually had the chance to put the criminal who committed the crime behind bars but she couldn't bring herself to do it. At least not yet, she owed it to John McGarrett to at least look into every possible lead before she threw in the towel and gave in. She owed it to John McGarrett's family to try and give them a sense of closure if she could manage it.

The case wasn't over yet. She and Meka, still had three days until they had to present their findings to the Captain, three days where anything could happen to break their current deadlock with the case. She just needed to be patient with it and to keep digging at it. If there was a way of locating Hesse then she would find it.  
Danni glanced down at her watch, frowning when she saw that it was only twenty to seven. That would give her enough time to get ready for work and to head over to her ex-husband's house to pick Grace up from him. Once she had dropped her daughter off of school she would head over to the Police Station and look over their notes and dig further into John McGarrett's past to see if she could find out what had been troubling him in his final months alive. She had to make sure that she wasn't missing something which was obvious.

Danni reached up and pushed her tangled hair away from her eyes, lowering the photo of John McGarrett back to the table and pushed her chair back, coming to her feet in a fluid movement. What she needed was a large mug of coffee, a long hot shower and a change of clothes. Once she had done all of those thing she would be able to face the day. She yawned, covering her mouth briefly with her hand before she stretched her arms above her head coming up on her tiptoes. She groaned when her spine gave a satisfying crunch. Coming back down, Danni glanced once more at the papers on the table before she turned and left the room heading down the hallway towards the back of the house where the bathroom and the bedrooms were situated. The case could wait for at least twenty minutes.

She had managed to find a small, one storey house on the day it had come up on the market and had been surprised to fall in love with it when so far she had hated everything she had been forced to view. Danni hadn't bothered playing games, placing an offer in and buying it outright, using all of the cash she had left in her savings and a loan from her older sister Caitlin who was a vice president in their family business. Her parents had thought she was mad to outright buy a property in Hawaii when it was only a temporary move but they had soon changed their tune when Danni had pointed out to them how much her small house would be worth when she came to selling it. The small amount of income she was receiving monthly from renting out her old home in New Jersey was a god send, helping her to afford all the small things which Grace needed which a police salary didn't quite cover. It was still tighter than she would have liked but they were coping.

Danni might have been fond of their small house but she wasn't greatly fond of the state of Hawaii itself. She didn't like the continual hot, sunny weather, she didn't like the humidity, she wasn't fond of crowded beaches and she didn't like the attitude she received from her work colleagues on a daily basis but Grace loved it there and she knew the small girl loved the fact that she got to spend more time with her Dad so Danni simply ignored her own feelings on the matter and tried instead to make the best out of a bad situation which she couldn't change. Seeing Grace's wide, happy smile when she had found something else which she liked on the island was enough to make Danni forget exactly why she hated the place so much in the first place. As long as Grace was happy then Danni would be happy, it was as simple as that.

If it had been solely up to Danni then she and Grace would never have left New Jersey to move to Hawaii. However it hadn't been just up to her, her ex-husband Duncan still had a large say in his daughter's upbringing and was a part of her life. Duncan worked at a large successful bank which had required him to move around a lot initially. Sometimes he would be based in America, other times in Europe or Asia. The distance and lack of contact had been one of the reasons why they had divorced in the first place though it hadn't been the main, most important reason. When he had been appointed the manager of the newly opened branch of the bank in Hawaii, a post which he had been told he would be in for a minimum of two year, he had put his foot down and demanded that both she and Grace moved out to the island with him so he could spend time with Grace, the same daughter he had gone months without seeing at times. Danni had argued the demand with him, pointing out that taking their daughter out mid school year wasn't a good idea and could cause more harm than good for Grace but he had been adamant over it, dismissing her observations as unimportant or misguided, the same way he had done towards the end of their marriage. Danni had been forced to give in when Duncan had looked at her across the table in the restaurant they had met up at and pointedly mentioned the words Grace, lawyers and custody in the same sentence. It was at that moment she had known she was beaten. Danni might have been Grace's mother but with her career and the amount of influence Duncan had she couldn't guarantee that the judge would grant her full custody this time round.

It was simply too big a risk to even contemplate taking.

She had swallowed her own desires to stay and instead had sat down with Duncan, drawing out a custody agreement which suited them both and which was similar to the one they already had in place from when they had initially divorced. They signed it, got it countersigned by witnesses and checked and agreed by a judge and then that was it. Two months after that initial conversation had occurred, Danni and Grace had stepped off the plane from Los Angeles onto an island where they both knew no one other than Duncan.

That has been six months ago and it was only now that she and Grace were beginning to settle down and feel like they could survive there.

Danni headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her out of habit and headed over to the shower stall, humming softly to herself as she turned the water on full blast. She waited until she could see the steam rising indicating that it had finally heated up before she stripped off the vest top and pair of shorts she had been wearing the previous evening and stepped beneath the powerful spray. She cleaned herself, using her favourite shower crème and washed her hair, staying in the shower until the water finally cooled. Sighing she turned it off and stepped out, wrapping herself in one of the large pale yellow towels which Grace had been adamant they got from the store because it happened to be her favourite colour at that moment in time.

Danni moved across the floor to the sink and swiped her hand across the steamed mirror before she grabbed her toothbrush, squirted toothpaste on it and began to brush her teeth.

Her eyes flickered up absently to focus on her reflection in the glass, taking in her appearance with a critical look. Her long blond hair was beginning to curl back into its normal waves after washing it, if she was quick enough with it then she would actually be able to do something with it for once. Large grey eyes set in a pretty fair face stared back at her, head tilted slightly to the side with a thoughtful expression before she shrugged and turned her attention back to her teeth, spitting out the paste into the sink and dumping her brush back into the pot before she turned and left the room heading towards her bedroom.

It didn't take long to go through her morning routine, including the five minutes it took to blow dry her hair and the other five minutes she spent every morning in front of her wardrobe trying to decide what lay ahead in her day so she could pick the best outfit for it. She had a simple rule that she lived by, if she thought the day was going to be active then she would wear trousers with a pretty top. If it was going to be an office day then she would pick out a dress or a skirt-top combo. Today was definitely due to be an office day so she grabbed a simple short sleeved navy blue dress with a flared skirt that ended just above her knees. She pulled it on, whistling to herself finishing the look with a pair of nude high heels.

Danni glanced at herself in her full length mirror as she forced her hair into a high bun, giving a nod of satisfaction as she took in the effect. She looked professional with the slightest hint of glamour to it. Exactly the look she had been going for. She had learnt within a day of working at the Honolulu police Department that they neither wanted nor approved of a female detective within their ranks and they had absolutely no problem in letting her know it at every given opportunity. Danni had accepted that she was on her own in the place and had resorted to doing small things for herself to make the days bearable. Making sure she looked as feminine as possible day after day was one of the ways she had of sticking her finger up and each and every one of them. If they made such a big deal about the way she looked and the fact she had been blessed with a feminine figure then she would as well.

Danni turned as the familiar sound of Michael Jackson's smooth criminal shattered the quietness in her house. She looked around her curiously, twisting on the spot as she tried to locate her mobile before she realised that it must still be on the living room table where she had dumped everything when she had gotten in the previous afternoon. Shaking her head she turned and left her bedroom heading into the living room, her eyes automatically landing on the phone. She picked it up and answered it before it could ring out, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Detective Williams" She answered briskly, grabbing her large nude coloured work bag from the sofa where she had dropped it the day before.

"Aloha Kakahiaka Danni girl, it's Meka."

Danni smiled at the familiar sound of her partner's cheerful voice booming in her ear. He had to be one of the only people she knew who could sound so happy first thing on a Monday morning.

"Hey partner" She replied brightly heading out of the living room and back into the kitchen where she began collecting all the McGarrett pages together, glancing at them to make sure they were in the correct order before she slipped them back into the file. "I'm just getting the file for the McGarrett murder together and then I'll be leaving for the office. I've got to swing by Duncan's house this morning and pick up Gracie on the way so I can drop her off to school."

"Gracie?” Meka responded sounding surprised “Why are you doing that? Can't Duncan do that instead? I wasn't imagining it when you said that it was his weekend this weekend was I?" Meka questioned, briefly sounding confused.

"Nope you weren't wrong it was his weekend with her, but apparently can't take our daughter into school this morning because he has a morning meeting with the Japanese branch of their bank which he can't possible miss or give to one of his underlines to deal with. He rang me last night after I got in, asking me to get Grace and I couldn’t exactly say no, so you'll have to find another way to get to work this morning. I'm not going to have time to do it both, not with Captain Hookano constantly watching me waiting for me to slip up and make a mistake. If I start being late then he'll rake me over the coals for it and one lecture a week from the man is enough for me." She answered with a sigh

"I hear you loud and clear Danni so don’t worry about it" Meka replied sounding relaxed over the line. "I'll just have to get my little baby out of the garage and drive myself into work today, it's not a problem Danni. Besides she could probably use the action, babies like mine have to be seen and loved or they wilt away" He commented. Danni started nodding, picturing his casual shrug in her mind, before she suddenly stopped, his actual words sinking into her mind.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea Meka?" She remarked cautiously. "Maybe it would be a better idea for you to get Amy to drop you into work on her way to Billy's school or if that's too late then you could always get a taxi in for once. Or you know what would be an even better idea" She went on to say thoughtfully. "You could actually take this opportunity to get some exercise in and walk into work. It’s only about twenty minutes and it would probably do you the world of good. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been packing on the pounds over the last few weeks or so partner" She commented, her voice trailing off at the sound of disbelief he made. He was silent for a moment as though he was mulling over what she had said before he spoke.

"Maybe you could explain to me what the sudden concern about my health is all about Danielle?" He asked her suspiciously. "Because I'll have you know that I'm as fit as an ox. Have you been talking to Amy about it again? The two of you together is cause for concern for me then my health mainly because you keep ganging up and double teaming me" He stated, Danni rolled her eyes picturing the way his eyebrow would be rising in annoyance.

"No I haven't spoken to your wife about it" She answered, waving her hand about her. "I'm concerned for you because your little baby as you call your car is actually a death trap on wheels and you know call it crazy and all but I don't particularly want to go to your funeral my friend. That car mixed with the crazy street boy racing way of driving you’ve adopted is just an accident waiting to happen."

"While I appreciate your concern Danni, I feel like I need to remind you that my baby which you're so casually insulting in your usual roundabout way is actually what most people considering a classic card which you should actually respect. There’s several people on the island who would give up a limb for the chance to drive or own my baby" He pointed out, sounding offended.

"You want me to respect your car?" She repeated in amusement. "Okay then perhaps I should explain something to you Meka, the day I respect that pile of junk that you refer to as a classic is the day that you can make it from one side of this island to the other without breaking down or stopping once. Then and only then will I respect your car and acknowledge it as a classic. You know, once it can actually perform the one function it was made to do in the first place."

"Well now, I can't help but think that, that sounds like you’re issuing me with a challenge" Meka said gleefully. She could almost picture the grin on his face as he rubbed his hand together.

"Really? You’re taking what I said as a challenge?” She asked in disbelief before she shrugged at him. “Fine then, well when you do decide to do it then just make sure you give me plenty of warning so I can make sure that me and Grace are available to be there to cheer you on and when I say cheer you on what I really mean is that we will be there to laugh at you when you break down yet again because rest assured my friend you will break down." She stated.

"Where is the faith Danni?" Meka complained causing Danni to snort down the phone at him.

"The faith? Where is the faith he asks as if he doesn't already know." She repeated, shouldering her bag and looking around her to make sure she had everything which she needed. "Need I remind you Meka that I'm the poor sap who you call every time you break down in the car to come and pick you up and take you to wherever it is you were going in the first place? You might have thought that I would forget about these situation but you would be wrong. There is a tally chart on my fridge this very moment, which gets added to every time you call me and trust me it's all adding up to you owing me a pretty huge favour and when I say huge I'm thinking like covering for me at work for a week so I can take Grace back home to New Jersey to visit our family huge."

"That is very harsh" Meka replied. "Here I was thinking all this time that you did it out of the kindness of your heart."

"The first twenty times that you rang and asked it was because of that" Danni agreed with a nod. "But now? Now I simply do it because I'm terrified of what Amy would do to me if she heard that I had left you out of there with no way to get back home. I like to think that I’m as brave as the next person, but I'm not that brave."  
"No one is that brave" Meka agreed fervently causing them both to laugh.

"We should put her in with our suspects when they won’t answer our questions, five minutes alone with her and I bet they'd tell her anything she wanted to know" Danni remarked with a grin as Meka snorted.

“Yeah I dare you to mention that to her next time you’re round for dinner”

They fell silent for a moment before Danni sighed and spoke.

"So are you planning on telling me the reason behind your call or am I meant to guess it?” She asked, her eyes flickering to the clock on the wall. “It's just gone seven now and you never call me this early normally unless something has come up with a case or you want something from me." She pointed out. "I mean call it my Detective instinct stirring into life but I'm guessing you aren't calling me because you miss the sound of my voice considering the fact that we all went to dinner on Saturday evening and I ended up crashing at yours for the night and didn’t leave until the early afternoon." Meka laughed.

"Come on Danni, we both know that once you’ve decided to allow someone into your life, you don't stop talking long enough for them to miss the sound of your voice, at least not enough to warrant an early morning phone call anyway." He remarked, sounding amused over the phone line.

"Well aren't you just a charmer Meka" Danni responded dryly. "I mean you certainly have a talent with women" She said sarcastically.

"Why thank you for noticing Danni, it's one of the many gifts that I’ve been blessed with" He replied, causing Danni to roll her eyes at the smug tone he used. "Besides I must have done something right in the past to get Amy to marry me."

"Right" Danni said, dragging the word out. "Anyway seriously all joking aside, what can I do for you Meka?" She queried. "If you're ringing to ask me to get the coffee in again today than you can forget about it. I've got it the last three times so by my reckoning that makes it your turn. You can pick us up a couple of muffins as well since you didn't bring any snacks to that stakeout we did last week, don't think I didn't notice you eating everything which I had brought with me."

"What are you saying? I'll have you know that I brought myself to that stakeout, what more could anybody want?" He answered before he sighed down the phone, dropping his jokey manner. "Captain Hookano rang me about ten minutes ago. He needs me to do something for him on another case so you're going to be on your own with the McGarrett murder today, or at least for the morning, hopefully this thing he wants done won't take too long and then I can re-join you in the afternoon and we can go over everything again and see if we’re missing something.."

"That's no problem Meka, I'll be in the office most of this morning running through a few leads anyway though I think I'm going to head over to the McGarrett house later as well and have another look at it. I don't know why but I feel like we're missing something there. Something stupidly obvious that's gonna have us kicking ourselves when we figure out exactly what it is."

"If anyone is going to find out what we're missing then it's going to be you Danni" Meka said confidently. "Just like you managed to find the third person we had originally missed in our last case which managed to link everything together in the end. We closed that case because of you" He told her warmly causing her to smile

"Please don't remind me of that charming specimen of your sex. There's nothing quite like being hit on by a low life drug dealer to make a girl feel all special and tingly inside." She said, rolling her eyes at the memory.

"Yeah well you broke him during interrogation so whatever you did clearly worked. We all make sacrifices for this job Danni girl. Your burden to bear is having to deal with getting hit on by scum." She heard the sound of another voice and Meka's muffled response before he spoke again, his voice clear again and clearly directed at her. "I've got to go now hoaloha. You take care of yourself though I'll probably see you in the office if you're going to be there for most of the day."

"You know one day I'll actually get around to learning the Hawaiian language just so I can figure out what it you've been calling me for all these months. If I find out it's something rude than I can promise you that I'm going to go all diva on your ass and trust me when I say that I can go diva. It's grafted into the DNA when you're raised from a young age in New Jersey!" She took a deep breathe, ignoring the sound of his laughter as she continued speaking. "Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do. We want to keep the Captain on side remember?"

"As if I could forget just do me a favour and try not to insult too many people today Danni girl" He commented, hanging up on her before she could retort. Danni brought the handset away from her ear glaring at it for a moment before she dropped it and the McGarrett file into her bag and made her way out of the house, setting the alarm and locking it behind her as she headed down the small garden path to the driveway where her pride and joy say, gleaming in the sunlight.

She smiled at the silver car, running her hand over the roof fondly before she fished out the keys from her bag and unlocked it, her smile growing when she caught sight of the large pink cuddly rabbit which was sitting proudly in the passenger seat of the vehicle. The same pink rabbit which Danni and Meka's wife Amy had spent all of Saturday morning searching the shops for. Grace has told her the previous week that they were having a pet show and tell at the private school which Duncan had insisted she went to. There wasn't enough room in their house for them to own any real animals so Danni had figured that getting the cuddly toy would be the next best thing. Grace was still young enough at seven where something like this was still acceptable to do without it being a total embarrassment for her daughter.

She lowered herself into the driver's seat, throwing her bag into the rabbit's lap before slamming the door behind her, her gaze lingering on her house before she turned the key in the ignition and reversed into the road, heading in the direction of the freeway which would take her to Duncan's house where her baby was waiting for her. It had taken Danni a total of four months to finally understand the basic outline of the island and that was only because Amy had taken pity on her after she had gotten them lost again, and taken her around the island in the car one weekend while Grace had been with her father, showing her all of the shortcuts which she would need to know to get by.

Danni thanked her lucky stars on a daily basis that the Captain had chosen Meka to be her partner. In a unit of twenty other Detectives only Meka had shown her any warmth or respect. The other ones she had met looked at her as though she was a sub species of human who they were forced to deal with, calling her a Haole to her face and mocking the fact that she was the only woman in the whole department and that she was the youngest out of them. The fact that she was only five foot tall without heels on didn't help her cause at all. Danni had spent her life being looked down upon at work and she had never allowed it to pull her down before and she was determined not to start now.

So she ignored them all, treating them politely and indifferently, barely giving any of them the time of day. She kept hold of her temper with difficulty, holding onto her annoyance until she was alone with Meka in the car when she would let rip, talking until her voice gave out on her. Meka had merely found her amusing and somehow the pair of them had bonded and become friends. He had taken her home to meet his wife Amy and son Billy within two weeks of knowing each other and had started referring to her as Hoaloha by the time three weeks had passed by. A month later Danni had introduced Grace to the small family and the friendship had been cemented.

Meeting Amy had been a blessing to her, suddenly she found herself with a friend of the same sex as her who was only a year or two older. She had someone who she could call to speak to or see or just do the same girlie stuff which she had done back home in New Jersey with her mum and sister. Amy had the same wicked sense of humour as she did and the same interests. They had gotten on like a house on fire from the moment Meka introduced them. The fact that Meka and Amy had a son only a year or so younger than Grace was had made life easier because it had meant that she could bring Grace with her and know that her daughter would have someone to keep her company. Like this weekend where they had made plans to go to the beach that upcoming Saturday.

Danni pushed the thought out of her head as she turned into the road where Duncan lived. She pulled the car to a stop outside a large white house surrounded by a metal fence. She didn't look towards it instead fishing her mobile out of her bag and scrolled through the contact menu list until she reached her ex-husband name. She sighed, pressing the call button, tapping her finger against the back of the handset as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hey Elle, you're here early today" Duncan said, his voice coming across calm over the line. Danni's eyes narrowed at the use of the nickname was strictly used for her family members. It was a nickname he had refused to stop calling her even after their divorce had gone through.

"Morning Duncan, sorry I’m slightly early, the traffic was a lot lighter today than it normally is" She said in return, keeping her irritation out of her voice with difficulty, she couldn't afford to get on Duncan's bad side however much as she might have been tempted to.

"That's good, how are you today anyway darling? All good I hope" He commented, sounding distracted as though he was searching for something, knowing him he probably was. He had never been the most organised of men relying on Danni while they had been married, to let him know where he had put his things. "You know my meeting doesn't start for another twenty minutes or so, you could come in for a quick coffee and we could actually have a civilised conversation with each other face to face rather than you sitting outside the gates in Bobby junior waiting for Grace to come out." He suggested

"I would but I need to make a phone call to the office about a case and it can’t wait" She replied. "Maybe next time or something. If you could just send our girl out to me now then that would be great, unless you want her to be late for school for the first time since the school year started."

"I wouldn't want to blemish her perfect record Elle" He responded sounding amused "She's just brushing her teeth and she knows you're picking her up today so she should be outside with you shortly. She missed you a lot this weekend Danni, she'll be glad to see you" He commented softly. Danni remained silent for a moment staring up at the large house which contained her ex-husband and her daughter before she spoke.

"Well that makes two of us then, I've got to go now so I'll speak to you soon Duncan" She answered softly, hanging up the phone with a shake of her head. God sometimes she hated Duncan, he always knew exactly what to say to hurt her whether he meant to or not. He knew that she hated the weekends when he had Grace to himself. Perhaps if their divorce has ended well they could have still occasionally gone out together as a family but there was little to no hope of that ever actually occurring.

She leaned her head back against the chair rest for a moment, allowing her eyes to close with a sigh before she forced them open, twisting in her seat and searching through her bag for a particular file. If Grace was still brushing her teeth than it meant that Danni would be waiting for at least five minutes, five minutes which could be put to better use than moping in her car. She pulled out the file out and opened it up to the ballistic report she had been reading the night before, eyes re-skimming it before she nodded once to herself. She dialled a number on her phone and brought it to her ear again. She waited, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel.

"Hello, you've reached the Hawaii police Department, how may I direct your call today?"

"Hi, my name is Detective Danielle Williams, badge number 7576. I need to speak to someone about getting a trace set up on a suspect?" There was a slight pause before the man spoke again.

"You will need to speak to Lieutenant Akuna. Please hold the line while I transfer you over to him."

Danni breathed out as some random happy, uplifting song came over the phone line causing Danni to frown. God she hated having to listen to waiting music, why could it never be good music? Something that people would actually want to sit and listen to rather than something that would make them want to commit murder. She closed her eyes, her frown growing as she waited for the music to end.

"Hello Detective Williams are you there?"

Danni started at the sudden voice, her eyes reopening.

"Yes I'm here." She replied, sitting up straighter in the seat.

"Excellent, my name is Lieutenant Akuna, I'm sorry I kept you waiting, I was just finishing up with another query. My colleague has informed me that you require a trace placed on a suspect?"

"That's right" She answered, adjusting the file on her lap. She glanced down at it, her eyes scanning the picture of the angry young man who was glaring back at her from the mug shot. "I need to have a warrant write up for a surveillance wire on a suspect in connection to the ongoing John McGarrett murder case" She said firmly. There was a pause before Lieutenant Akuna spoke, his voice sounding professional and serious. Danni could hear him typing away on his keyboard, probably bringing up the necessary forms he needed to complete to make her request happen.

"What is the full name of your suspect?" He asked her.

"His surname is Doran, his first name is Frederick and his middle name is Richard but according to his record he goes by then name Fred."

"How are you spelling his surname?" Came the response, causing a slight smile to come to Danni's face as she silently savoured the fact that she was finally speaking to someone on the police for who actually seemed to know not only what they were talking about but who actually seemed willing to help her without the sarcastic comments that normally accompanied every request she made.

"D-O-R-A-N" She spelt out for him.

The sound of the metal gate to Duncan's house opening caught her attention and she automatically glanced towards it before she shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Trust her ex to have security gates which automatically opened. Most people would be content to actually open the gates up themselves.

"I'll get these forms filled in straight away for you and sent off to the correct people Detective Williams. I'll call you on this number when the action has been approved. Is there anything else that I can help you with today or is that it?"

"That's all I need for now. Thank you for your help though Lieutenant Akuna, it's much appreciated."

"Any time Detective" He responded, his voice coming across as friendly which surprised her. Danni ended the call, closing the file and placed it back into her bag. She turned her attention to the passenger seat and fluffed the pink bunny before she climbed out of the car and took a step towards the gate, smoothing the front of her dress down as her gaze honed in on Grace. Her heart skipping a beat in her chest as she caught sight of the massive smile which came to her daughter's face as she caught sight of her.

Danni's smile grew as Grace dropped the hand of the cleaner who had accompanied her out as though it was diseased and ran towards her, her large brown eyes sparkling with delight as Danni hunched down and held her arms out, a whoosh of air escaping her lungs as Grace fell into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Hello Mamma, I missed you this weekend!" Grace said, her voice muffled from where her face was buried in the side of Danni's neck. Danni twisted her head, resting her cheek against Grace's dark brown hair, simply breathing in the familiar scent of her daughter’s favourite strawberry shampoo. She moved back, her hands lightly resting against Grace's back as she searched her daughter's face marvelling again at just how much she missed the small girl when she wasn't around.

"I missed you too" She assured her with a smile. "And thank you for the big hug baby, it's made my day." She stated, her gaze dropping from Grace's face to take in the cage she was holding in her hand, a cage which held a small fat white rabbit in it. Danni blinked at it in confusion for a moment before she looked back up at her daughter. "Who is your new friend Gracie-bean" She asked cautiously.

Grace glanced down at the cage in her hand, hoisting it up slightly so Danni could have a better look at the occupant inside.

"This is Mr Hoppy Mamma," She said seriously. "Daddy got him for me over the weekend for the animal show and tell today. He said that you wouldn't mind me keeping him at our house once it was over."

"Well that was nice of Daddy to do that for you Gracie" She replied, forcing a smile onto her face. She would be contacting her ex as soon as she was able to for a little chat about what was appropriate to buy their daughter and what was not. A real live rabbit definitely fell into the not appropriate category. "I hope you thanked him when he gave it to you. I mean Mr Hoppy is an extremely cute little rabbit though he's not as cute as you are baby" She remarked, running her hand down Grace's long straight hair. "I see Daddy left your hair down again?" She said, scrunching her nose up when Grace pulled a face, throwing her hands up into the air in a move which Danni was pretty sure Grace had learnt directly from her.

"He always does mamma, I don't even like having it down, it makes my neck all hot when I'm at school" She complained with a heartfelt sigh.

"I'll braid it for you when we get to school okay" She offered, smiling when Grace nodded at her with a relieved look on her face. "We've got to go now or you'll be late. Have you got everything which you need for your lessons with you?" She asked as she straightened up from her hunched position.

"Everything" Grace answered with a single nod at her. "I even double checked it all before I left just to be doubly sure."

"That's my girl" Danni said, "Let's go. We can't have Mr Hoppy being late on his first day of school can we? What would Ms Clarke say?"

"She wouldn't be pleased mamma" Grace answered earnestly as she reached up and swiped some hair off of her face tucking it behind her small ear.

"Exactly and we don't want that do we" Danni confirmed, reaching down and grabbing Grace's free hand in hers as she turned towards the car, her gaze falling on the pink rabbit with a wince. There was no way she could give the toy to Grace now. Swallowing, she thought fast, walking with Grace towards the Driver's side before she spoke, a teasing tone to her voice. "And where exactly do you think you're going Gracie bean? Are you planning on driving the pair of us to your school is that it?" She queried, watching the wide smile which came to Grace's face when Danni twirled her twice as though they were dancing. "You know you're not allowed to drive until you're at least ten baby. No this way to the passenger seat before you make me dizzier then I already am" She commented, walking Grace around the car and blocking the rabbit from sight with her body, something she knew she wouldn't be able to do much longer with the rate her daughter was growing. "What's that down there?" She asked, pointing down the road. Grace automatically followed her finger giving Danni time to reach through the window and stuff the rabbit into the back seat out of sight. "What are you doing looking over there? Come on baby we're going to be late for school and work" She said, opening the passenger door and shoving her bag into the foot well before she helped Grace into the car.  
She headed round to her side of the car, glancing once towards the house as the gates began to close before she got into the driver's seat, flashing her daughter a reassuring smile as she turned the key in the ignition and set off towards the private school Grace attended.

"Do did you have a good time with Daddy this weekend baby?" She asked, glancing at the small girl from the corner of her eyes before she focused her attention back to the road. Grace nodded her head, her dark gaze still fixed on her new pet which hadn't moved a muscle as far as Danni could see since Grace had left the house.

"It was fun" She said with a slight shrug. "Me and Daddy did a lot of things together but it wasn't as fun as being with you Mamma. Can't you come out with us the next time we go? Daddy said that he’ll take me to the Aquarium next time I’m with him and I really want you to come as well." She asked with a pout, looking at Danni with big brown eyes which melted Danni's heart.

"We'll have to see Grace" She answered, crushing the feeling of guilt that sprung up at her little white lie. "Until then the two of us get to hang out together. Your Daddy will have you on Wednesday evening as usual but that's it. Do you want to go and Visit Uncle Meka, Auntie Amy and Billy over the weekend?" She questioned, pleased when Grace looked up from her the rabbit with a bright look on her face.

"Yeah" She said enthusiastically "Could we go to the beach mamma? Only Uncle Meka promised me the last time that I saw him that he would help me and Billy build the biggest sandcastle Hawaii has ever seen. He said that it would be so big that they would be able to see it from space!" Danni grinned at her.

"Well we definitely need to go to the beach now" She replied. "How about tonight we have a girlie evening with each other? We can put on a Disney film and gossip. Maybe order in a pizza or get some junk food on the way home from school as a rare treat. What do you think?" She asked as she turned the car into the road where Grace's school was situated.

"Yes please mamma" Grace responded.

"Okay that's what we'll do then" She remarked with a smile and a nod. "I'll give Auntie Amy a call later on as well to tell her that we're on for going to the beach with them on Saturday. We can bring your swimming stuff as well if you want?" she suggested.

"Definitely" Grace replied happily. "And maybe we could get some shaved ice as well Mamma?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not" Danni replied, bringing the car to a stop outside the school in one of the drop off bays. She undid her seatbelt, twisting in her seat and took the bright pink hair band that Grace was holding out to her. She bit down on her lower lip as she quickly plaited her daughter's hair, running her hand down it to smooth it before she moved back "Not bad all things considered" she commented, leaning forward and kissing Grace's cheek when the small girl turned back to her. "Have a good day at school baby, make sure you listen to everything Ms Clarke tells you and don't worry about your show and tell you're going to be brilliant in it."

"I will mamma, I love you" Grace said.

"I love you too Gracie-bean" Danni answered, watching as Grace grabbed her school bag and left the car. She waited until she saw Grace meet up with a group of her friends before she hit the indicator and pulled out onto the road heading in the direction to the police station.

She had work to do.


	2. Meeting in the garage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danni heads to the McGarrett house only to come face to face with the last person she expected to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has given the story a chance, I really appreciate it!
> 
> This chapter has the first chapter where Steve and Danni meet I've expanded it and you'll find that I've added some background on them both, Steve's background is ever so slightly different but things will make sense soon enough so please give it a chance.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

23rd September 2010  
The McGarrett House  
2727 Piikoi Street  
Honolulu  
Hawaii

\----------------------------------------------------

Danni hit the indicator, glancing to and fro as she twisted the steering wheel sharply in her hands and pulled her car into the McGarrett driveway. Breathing out nosily, she killed the engine and took a moment to gather her bag and the CSU reports from the crime scene together from where she had dumped them in the passenger seat before she pushed the door to the car open and stepped out into the warm breeze. She moved slightly to the side so she could close the door behind her and locked the car out of habit, her gaze already fixed on the house in front of her.

The first thing which struck her was the quietness surrounding the property, she could hear the sound of her own breathing and the gravel crunching beneath her heels when she adjusted her weight slightly. There was also the distant rumble of cars passing at the end of the road and the rustling of the leaves in the wind but that was it, everything else was silent and surprisingly peaceful considering what had happened here only a few days ago.

Reaching up, Danni absently hook a curl of hair behind her ear, her eyes moving away from the house to scan the surrounding area to make sure she was alone, she was still in the New Jersey mentality of expecting to see a member of the paparazzi lurking at every crime scene especially when that crime scene was the one for a local hero like John McGarrett had appeared to be if the reaction to his death was anything to go by. Satisfied that she was alone, Danni turned back to the house, eyes narrowing as she observed it carefully for what felt like the first time.

It was a surprisingly lovely house, large with a cosy feel to it which should have been surprising considering the size of it. It was large enough that the owner would be able to have several people around to visit at one time and have them crash without them sleeping on top of each other but at the same time it wasn't large enough to be overwhelming for one person. If she was being honest with herself it would have been the sort of house that she would have looked for, for her and Grace when they had first moved to the island, except for the fact that it would be well out of her price range.

She tilted her head to the side for a moment struck by a feeling she couldn't explain, it felt like the house was giving off an aura of sadness, as though it was an old lady just slightly out of her prime but still trying desperately to hold on to some of her former glamour because she couldn't let go.

Danni’s eyes moved across the exterior taking in the peeling white paint of the wall, a job which would be easy enough to complete over one weekend. All it really needed was a lick of paint followed by some weather proofing to protect the woodwork against the sudden, violent downpours of rain which Hawaii seemed to experience periodically and without any warning. The wood of the sills and the steps leading up to the door seemed sturdy enough from what she could see. A simple bit of staining on that and the house would be back to a reasonable level of cosmetic beauty.

She doubted that any of the jobs would end up getting done though, instead the house would fall into further disrepair like so many others. It hadn't taken her long to realise that news of any kind travelled round the island fast and Danni would have been extremely surprised to come across anyone who was living there who by now didn't know exactly what had happened to John McGarrett in his living room, even the details they had purposely kept out of the press somehow still managed to find their way out into the general public. No one would buy the house now if McGarrett’s son and daughter decided to cut their losses and sell the place. The local population were spiritual and would be too nervous of encountering McGarrett’s restless spirit to live there while the visitors and businessmen who frequented the island weren't there long enough to justify buying a house and instead stayed at the numerous hotels on the island which could offer them everything they needed at the touch of a button.

Danni shook her head, a slight smile curling her mouth as she dragged her thoughts away from real estate and back to John McGarrett. Even though she didn't know the man she somehow felt as though she did, maybe because she had interviewed his friends and those closest to him who had all told her the same things. That McGarrett was a decent man, kind, friendly with a dirty sense of humour but who always seemed sad even when smiling, as though he had a large weight which was slowly crushing him. It was no stretch of the imagination to picture him, sitting on the chair outside on his private beach, drinking a chilled beer fresh from the fridge and staring into the ocean as it lapped on the shore, lost in his own thoughts, perhaps reliving his memories and wondering where he had gone wrong.

She wondered whether McGarrett’s family had ever made the journey from the mainland to come and stay with him in the house. She had studied the thin file the Captain had initially handed her and Meka intently trying to get a feel for the man. His back history had been fairly simple, born in 42, youngest son of Steven and Jeanine McGarrett, he had an older brother called William who was two years older. Then Pearl Harbour had happened and his father had died on the Arizona leaving his mother alone caring for two small boys. She had packed up and left Hawaii, moving to Maryland, Baltimore where she had remarried a man called Noah Landon and had two more children; Deborah and Michael who were seven and ten years younger than John had been respectively. He had joined the service after his schooling had ended, joined the Baltimore PD and made his way to the rank of Detective. He met a woman called Doris Walker and they had married and moved back to Hawaii. They had a son Steven and a daughter Mary while there and it seemed as though they were a normal family right up until 1992 when according to the police report attached, Doris McGarrett was killed in a car crash and McGarrett reacted by sending his children to the mainland, Mary to live with Deborah in LA while Steve was sent to Michael in Baltimore. After that there was no further mention of his children and each time she had asked one of McGarrett’s friends about whether he had had any contact with his brothers or sister had been met with the same blank stares and the comment that John had never mentioned any siblings and they had assumed he was an only child.

The knowledge had surprised Danni but she had pushed it to one side as a potential lead to follow up at a later date if nothing else panned out.

Danni had been curious so she had rang someone from her old Homicide unit in New Jersey who now worked in Intelligence and had him look into McGarrett’s children for her. It appeared that neither of them had returned to the island after being sent away that first time. Mary had stayed in LA, drifting from one job to another once she had finished high school, she had a few incidents on her record mainly shoplifting when she had been younger but nothing serious while Steven had excelled in Baltimore with his Uncle as far as she could tell, joining the naval Academy at Annapolis when he was eighteen, graduating first in his year and going straight into BUD/s training and graduating to become a Navy SEAL where he remained for six years before transferring to the Naval Intelligence Unit. He must have been someone important in it because all other information on him and what he had done was sealed. It was almost amusing just how different the siblings were and sad as well. She wondered whether they had been able to see each other while they had been growing up or whether their Uncle and Aunt weren't speaking to each other either. She hoped for their sakes that it wasn't the case.

Whatever reasons McGarrett had for sending his children away there was no doubt that he must have been lonely, living in the house he had bought with his wife, where his children had run around, talking and laughing and where they had been happy. Once that was all gone all he would have had were the memories to keep him company.  
For a moment Danni allowed herself to feel a brief moment of pity for the man and the life he had chosen for himself before she pushed the feeling aside, focusing her mind back on the task at hand. It was her job to solve his murder and bring his killer into justice. It was not her job to try and make sense of his life and the choices he had made when he had been alive to make them. It definitely wasn't her place to question his parenting skills though if she was honest with herself she was curious about it. Why would he send his children away at a time when most other parents would cling on harder to them? Either he had just been wired that way which didn't add up to the picture she had in her head of him or something had happened, forcing his hand.

Shaking her head, Danni slipped the files back into her bag and shouldered it, her gaze flickering to the closed front door before she moved to the right, skirting the bright yellow tape as she looked to the sides of her, making sure that everything was undisturbed as it should be. She stopped for a second, her eyes landing on a trampled flower, they narrowed for a moment as she glanced away from it and back to the house before she shook her head and carried on with her sweep. The flower had probably been destroyed by CSU or a uniformed officer when they had previous been there. Moments later found her in front of the house again so she headed towards it, climbing the steps and stopping outside it, she reached out and twisted the handle, pleased to feel the resistance to the movement meaning it was still locked like it should be. Tilting her head down slightly so she could peer into her bag, she rummaged through it making a mental note to herself to give it a clean out when she got home, and pulled out a simple tanned envelope from it, the front of it decorated with Meka’s untidy scrawl where he had written the word McGarrett across it. Danni slipped her index finger beneath the slip and tore it open, reaching in and pulling out the silver house key from inside it which she then stuck in the lock. Stuffing the envelope back into her bag, she glanced around her one more time before she turned the key in the lock and entered the house, pushing the door closed behind her.

It was cool inside the house which was a blessing considering the growing heat outside but Danni could still smell the lingering scent of stale blood in the air. She covered her nose and mouth briefly with her hand, closing her eyes with disgust before she breathed out nosily and forced herself to lower her hand, she looked to the side towards the large living room, eyes scanning it before she looked up at the door to the study where the murder had taken place. The place was silent other than for a clock which was ticking away in the corner of the room. She moved, ignoring the sound of her heels against the wooden floor and dropped her back on the brown leather chair. Leaning down slightly she reached in and pulled out a pair of latex gloves which she kept in there for moments like this. Pulling them on, she crossed the living room, sliding the door to the study open and stepped in, looking around her narrowed eyes.

The chair which McGarrett had been seated in when he had been murdered was still in the same position which Hesse had dragged it into, right bang centre in the room, the desk just out of McGarrett’s reach. The old man had been tied up, the rope no doubt cutting off his circulation making the limbs at first tingle with pins and needles and then go numb and useless. He would have been able to move his head but nothing else making him completely defenceless for the vicious attack which had swiftly followed. CSU had taken the rope away once the Medical examiner had given the okay and tested it but they had only found McGarrett’s skin cells on it which meant that Hesse had worn gloves.

She moved towards the chair, touching the top of it lightly, staring down at it before she twisted, facing in the same direction McGarrett would have been and hunched down beside it, her eyes moving side to side to see what McGarrett would have seen in his last moment’s. The desk that had paper flung to each side creating a space between them, a bookcase filled with ornaments and the fireplace with a mantelpiece filled with pictures. She sighed, standing up and moved to the mantelpiece, picking up one of the pictures and looking down at it. It was taken in the early nineties or late eighties if the clothes were anything to go by. A pretty blond woman was smiling at the camera, her arms wrapped round the shoulders of a dark haired boy of about ten and a blond girl of about seven, all of them looked happy and relaxed. Clearly even though McGarrett had sent his children away he had never forgotten them. Her eyes scanned the rest of the photos, most of them were of the two children with the blond woman who Danni was assuming was Doris, there was one of a man in uniform looking at the camera seriously though a hint of a smile seemed to show around the mouth, he was good looking, young and full of life. Judging by the age of the actual photo and the way it was curled up at the corners this had to be the McGarrett’s father who had gone down with the Arizona. One other picture caught her attention. It looked like a young John with his family on the mainland. He was grinning at the camera, next to a dark haired woman with hazel-blue eyes who was smiling as well, a tall boy stood behind them while a small girl and boy sat in front looking as though they were building sandcastles. They must been the Aunt and Uncle, McGarrett had sent his children to.

She moved away from the mantelpiece, stopping by the desk and looked down, a frown coming to her face when she saw the silver outline of a discernible fingerprint. She raised her eyebrow in surprise wondering why it had been missing from CSU’s initial report. She moved quickly over to her bag and fished out her mobile, heading back over to the desk and took a picture of it, sending it directly to Agent Alexis Moss who was the fingerprint expert with CSU with a quick text asking her to run it through CODIS and to let her know if there was any hits from it.

Danni glanced up, her eyes landing on the wall behind the chair where blood was still splatter against the wall, the dark rust colour showing up visibly against the whiteness.

Shaking her head, she glanced down as her phone pinned with a response from Alexis telling her that she had received the print and would run it through as priority for Danni. Danni quickly wrote a response thanking her and sent it before placing the phone on the desk, crossing her arms as she ran through everything in her mind again.

There was no doubt in her mind that this murder had been extremely personal to Hesse. The damage which had been done to McGarrett’s body indicated that Hesse had tortured the man for at least two hours before he killed him by shooting him directly in the face and close range. Danni understood why Hesse had killed him, but what she couldn't wrap her head around was why he had chosen to inflict the horrors on the old man which he had done. It made no sense. John McGarrett had not been the man who Hesse had wanted, that had been McGarrett’s son who clearly had Hesse’s brother with him when it all went done if the brief mention of Anton Hesse in the Commander’s debriefing was anything to go by and yet Hesse hadn’t gone for the son directly, he had gone for the father. The same father who Danni was beginning to think hadn't seen his son since placing him on a plane to the mainland when he had been fifteen.

Danni only knew of two real reason why someone would stick around to torture someone knowing that they could be caught any moment. The first one was because they had information which the other person wanted desperately enough that they would take any risk to get it. The second reason was because they were simple sadistic, taking pleasure in hurting other people and making them suffer, often when it was the second reason it was because they couldn't help themselves, needing it like a drug addict needed a fix.

Had Hesse done what he had done to McGarrett out of a misguided belief that father and son had a close relationship with each other? Had he been under the impression that the Commander had told his father something which Hesse wanted to know or was this all about making the Commander suffer by making him listen to his father’s last moments alive knowing there was nothing he could do about it? Did the Commander know about what his father had endured before his death or had that been kept away from him? For his sake she hoped it had been.

Either reason sent a chill down her spine.

She knew that John McGarrett must have known that he wouldn't be getting out of the chair Hesse had placed him in alive even if the Commander had complied with whatever it was he had wanted. McGarrett would have known it from the minute Hesse forced himself into his home, beaten him until he couldn’t stand and then tied him to the chair and tortured him. The old man would have sat there, unable to move properly, bleeding heavily from his various wound and had probably barely been conscious before being forced to listen to his only son being mentally and emotionally abused and had known there was nothing he could do to stop him. If Hesse had been trying to break John McGarrett then he had certainly gone the right way about it only that part of plan had failed. John McGarrett hadn’t broken and he had managed to spend the last moments of his life convincing Hesse to let him speak to his son and then warned the Commander not to do whatever it was that Hesse wanted him to do, even though he must have known as he spoke the words that he had signed his own death warrant with them. It was a form of bravery she had only come across a few times in the past.

Danni’s been a cop for ten years now, her first year on the street had been walking a beat with a Sergeant who was twice her age, who smoked like a chimney and who was still one of the best men she had known and who had taught her more about people and how to read them in that year than she had learnt in all the previous twenty one years of her life. She had been moved off the streets quickly, finding herself serving time in both vice and narcotics, jobs which she still couldn’t think about without shuddering with disgust before Captain Gregory had arrived, taken one look at Danni and her latest report and snapped her up for Homicide where she had thrived. She had earned her detective badge by the time she was twenty five and had by the time she was twenty nine she was in charge of a team of eight working the hardest cases. Danni had always been talented when it came to reading people and the training her Sergeant had given her had just cemented it until it was second nature for her, It had been hell on her marriage because she had always been able to tell the instant that Duncan had lied to her. She had seen the worse in people and she had seen the best and the sacrifice which McGarrett made, the strength he had shown demanded respect and she would give it the only way she could do. By finding Hesse.

There was no way in hell that Danni was going to allow him to escape her. She would hunt down the son of a bitch and make him pay for what he had done to John McGarrett, to one of their own. She might not have known the man personally but Meka had, having been a Rookie detective when McGarrett had still been on one of the senior Detectives on a team. Danni could still picture the look of shock, mingled with horror which had come to Meka’s face when the Captain had arrived at their desk and passed the file to them. It was a look which Danni hoped she would never witness again.

How many times had Hesse done this? How many people had he killed? How many people had he broken by making them listen to what he had done?

Everything swirled round in her mind until it fixed into one thought.

She would find Hesse and she would lock him behind bars for the rest of his miserable life, she would make it her personal mission to make sure that he never saw the light of day again.

Danni’s body suddenly tensed as her head whipped round, eyes narrowing as she listened carefully, her ears picking up on the faint sound of a muffled voice coming from somewhere nearby.

Somebody else was in the house with her.

She moved to the chair where she had dumped her bag and reached in pulling her loaded gun from within and moved quickly through the house. She stopped outside the kitchen door, pressing her head against the cool wood and listened carefully before slowly opening the door and stepping into the empty room. She moved across it, doing the same outside the pantry door before she found herself outside the door which she knew led into the garage, the same door where the sound of voices was coming from.

Danni hesitated for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep steadying breath, saying a silent prayer before she brought her head back, locking her feelings away as she kicked the door open, moving swiftly into the garage, her gun held straight in front of her, pointed at the intruder, directly over his chest where his heart would be beating. Her eyes flickered over the room, noting instantly that there were just the two of them before her gaze flashed back to the man taking in as much detail as she could about him. He was tall, probably about six foot one, perhaps six foot two at a push and he was clearly in great shape if his athletic frame was any indication to go by. She noticed that his hands were large and slim and currently wrapped around a gun which was pointed at her. She forced herself to ignore it as she spoke, her voice coming out icy and steady.

“You, place your gun on the floor and slowly put both your hands behind your head” She instructed.

“Who the hell are you?” The man demanded, speaking over her, ignoring her instructions as though she hadn't spoken to him. Dark hazel eyes narrowed on her, moving over her face with a deadly expression in them which froze the blood in her veins, making her mind jump to Grace, picturing her daughter’s smile as she wondered whether she had left everything in order for her. There was no doubt in her mind that the man in front of her was a professional, who had probably taken more than his fair share of lives. She could feel something niggling at the back of her mind, something telling her that she had seen the man before somewhere but she couldn't figure out where from.

“Who the hell am I?” She repeated, pushing the feeling away as her own eyes narrowed at him, her mind switching effortlessly into fight mode, her gaze flickered around her, taking in everything which she could use to increase her chances of survival from the encounter. Keeping him off balance and talking would be one of them. “I think the more important question here fella is who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing at this crime scene?” She retorted, straightening her spine, thankful that she was in her heels.

“I asked you the question first.” The man responded coldly. Danni’s hand tightened on her gun, her index finger resting on the trigger. She could get a shot off and dive behind the car before he could return fire if she timed everything perfectly. The car would shield her and give her the cover to shoot at him from if it came to that.

“I'm Detective Danni Williams with HPD and you have exactly three seconds to tell who you are and why you’re here in my crime scene. I'm not going to ask you again” she told him. She thought she saw a quick flash of surprise in his eyes at her announcement but it was gone leaving behind a cold blankness before she could be sure of what she had seen.

“I’m Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and this is my father’s house” He said after a long pause. Danni blinked, her mouth parting slightly in surprise, out of everything she thought he might have said, that hadn't been one of them. At least it explained why she had thought she had seen him before.

“Wait you're Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett?” She repeated, the words escaping before she could rein them in, she mentally kicked herself for showing a reaction to what he had said. He gave her one sharp nod. “Well if you’re the Commander then you won't mind putting your gun down and showing me your military ID to back your story up will you.” She ordered, making sure the tone of her voice made it a statement rather than a request.

“How about you show me your police ID first to prove to me that you're who you claim to be.” He retorted causing Danni to glare at him in frustration.

“We’re going around in circles here” She pointed out. “I have the jurisdiction here Commander so just show me your damn ID already so we can both move on.”

“You don't have any jurisdiction until you prove to me who you are and you can do that by showing my your ID” McGarrett answered, sounding equally as frustrated as he be glared back at her, looking as though he was one step away from bridging the gap between them, gripping her shoulders and shaking her hard. “How about I make this easy on you, I'm not putting my gun down until you prove to me that you're actually Detective Williams” Danni snorted in response.

“Well let me make it easy on you as well. I'm also not putting my gun down so I think it’s safe to say that the pair of us have arrived at a deadlock don’t you think? Why don't we both just stand here for the rest of the day, pointing our guns at each other and wait to see who gets bored or tired first. I mean it’s not like I have anything else to do with my day, oh wait I have a murderer to hunt down so do us both a favour, get your ID and show it to me. It’s not like I'm asking you to sacrifice your first born child to me or anything” Danni snapped at him, her eyes narrowing when she heard frustration bleeding into her voice. For a split second he looked almost amused by what she had said but it was gone a moment later as his eyes narrowed at her again, causing her to silently sigh.

“Use your free hand and slowly take your ID out from wherever it is and show it to me. I can promise you that you’re going to get tired long before I do so you might as well make this easier on yourself” He responded.

Danni raised her eyebrow at the patronising, commanding tone he used against her. Clearly the man in front of her was a man who was used to giving orders to everyone and having them drop everything they were doing to obey them. There was only a handful of people who Danni would consider obeying without question and none of them were on the island of Hawaii at that moment in time. There was no way that she was going to obey a stranger just because he expected her to. It had never been her style.

“Please after you, I insist” Danni replied, taking one hand of the gun for a second so she could wave it in his direction, before she grasped the butt of her gun with both hands again, keeping it steady.

“I'm all for equal rights so how about we show each other at the same time? Would that please you?” He suggested, causing her eyes to widen at him.

“At the same time?” She repeated, breathing out slowly when he nodded at her.

“That’s what I said” He stated.

“Shall we count to three or do you just want to whip them out right now?” She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure why not, three is as good a number as any,” He replied, shifting slightly on his feet, the first movement Danni had seem him make since he had swung round at her arrival.

“Three is actually my favourite number.” She responded before she took a second deep breath. “Fine, we're agreed then, on the count of three we show each other our IDS” She stated “One” She began, taking one hand off of her gun again and reaching for the cord around her neck which her badge was attached to.

“Two” McGarrett continued, his own free hand heading for one of the numerous pockets in his cargo pants.

“Three” Danni finished, pulling the cord over her head and holding up her badge to the side of her face so he could see it clearly. Her eyes dropped to the military ID badge he was holding up as well. Her eyes narrowed, her brain kicking into action, reminding her of all the key tells of what made a forgery, none of which she could see on his ID meaning that it was genuine, and that the man in front of her really was Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. The one man who she had been trying desperately to speak to for the past three days.

Danni lowered her gun from him slowly, absently putting the cord holding her badge back around her neck, her gaze landing on his face as she looked at him for the first time properly, taking the time to study him now that she didn't have his gun pointed at her.

He was a good looking man, incredibly so if she was being honest with herself with smooth sun tanned skin, strong even features and big, heavily lashed hazel eyes which were staying at her with a half puzzled, half hostile look as though he was trying to figure her out. Brown hair which appeared to have the smallest hint of a wave, was cropped close to his skull in a military style which suited him, bringing more attention to his features.

She swallowed, forcing herself to look away from him for a second to compose herself as she mentally reminded herself, that she had a job to do and that Commander McGarrett wasn't the first good looking man she had come across in her line of work.

“You’re a difficult man to find Commander” Danni told him, her voice going back to its usual quiet tone as she looked around the garage carefully. It had been the one room during her initial visit which she hadn’t explored properly, the most she had given it was a quick glance from the doorway before she had moved on. “I've been trying to get in contact with you for the past three days with no luck.” She admitted before she sighed. “Listen, I'm sorry about the loss of your father. I can't imagine what you’re feeling or going through right now. I know you're a military man though which means that you are already aware that you can’t be in this house right now. The yellow tape outside if a bit of a giveaway that this is still an active crime scene and-“

“Really Detective” he interrupted. “Because it doesn't look all that active to me, in fact I'm pretty positive that the only people who are here at this apparently active crime scene are both in this room right now.” He told her, waving his arm around him as his eyes narrowed on her again, this time in thought rather than anger. “You’ve been trying to contact me for the past three days?” He asked, “I wasn't told that.”

“Well that’s something you’ll have to take up with your Commanding Office” She responded tiredly, reaching up and rubbing at the back of her neck as she continued to speak. “I’ve left countless of messages with the navy asking to speak to you and I was told each and every time by the person on the other end on the phone that you weren’t available to speak to. Clearly they were actually telling me the truth and not stonewalling me like I originally thought because you were actually here in Hawaii breaking into an active crime scene instead. It’s no wonder they couldn't reach you to take the call,” She commented.

McGarrett remained silent for a moment, his eyes moving over her face thoughtfully again before he spoke, a brisk tone to his voice.

“I assume you wanted to discuss my debriefing with me and that’s the reason why you've been trying to contact me?” He said, waiting until she nodded at him before he continued speaking, slipping his gun back into the waistband of his cargo pants, his eyes never leaving her face once. “My CO told me that he would be sending a copy of it to the lead detective on my father’s case which I assume is you, so I'll make a deal with you Detective. I’ll sit down with you and discuss my debriefing with you for as long as you need as long as you tell me everything you know about what happened here three days ago. I think it’s a pretty fair trade don't you? We both get what we want from the meeting.”

“No, I don’t think so” Danni said firmly. “You know I can't share information with you when a case is active and ongoing. You are right though Commander, I do need speak you about your debriefing but I am also aware of what today is, so that conversation can wait until tomorrow morning” She said awkwardly.

“Why not today?” He demanded.

“Why not today he says” She muttered to herself before she spoke normally. “Because I know from my Captain that today was the day you buried your father McGarrett. I'm not going to make you remember today what happened when tomorrow can do just as well. It’s not like you're going to ever forget the details about what you heard over the phone.” She remarked, hiding a wince when she realised just how harsh her words had come across.

There was a moment’s silence between them, McGarrett simply watched her, a hard look in his eyes as though he was trying to burrow inside her head to see her thoughts. He spoke a moment later.

“Victor Hesse wasn’t in this house alone when he murdered my father Detective, did you know that?” He demanded, reaching up and running his hand through his hair. “There was someone else who was with him during it. Whoever it was, set up a laptop on the desk in my father’s study. There was a space which was cleared for a thirteen inch laptop and it wouldn't have belonged to my dad because he hated computers with a passion. He would never have kept one in his house full stop. The only reason he even got a phone was so he could make a yearly phone call to me and my sister.” He stated, an undercurrent to his voice which she picked up on.

Danni glanced over her shoulder towards the doorway before she looked back at him, her eyes dropping to the ground, moving rapidly side to side as the final pieces of the puzzle which had been eluding her slipped into place leaving her with a clear concise picture of what happened there three days ago.

It made sense for there to be someone else who helped Hesse during the attack. John McGarrett was a former police Detective who according to the people she had talked to, had kept fit and healthy throughout his retirement going running on a daily basis. Regardless of his advanced years he still would have been difficult to subdue alone, add to that the fact Hesse would have to find the time to set up the equipment for what he was planning and that he had spent hours toying with McGarrett. He definitely would have needed help. Hesse must have been giving his partner time to trace the call and set up the attack. Danni doubted that the Commander had a disposal phone. Why would he need one? No doubt the only people who had his number in the first place were the people he trusted.

She looked back at him, blinking when she realised that he was watching her again with the same thoughtful look as before when something suddenly clicked in her mind, something which made her eyes narrow with annoyance as she tilted her head to the side.

“How would you know that unless…” Her voice trailed off for a second before she spoke. “You contaminated my crime scene didn't you?” She demanded, watching the way his jaw suddenly tensed at her accusation as though he was grinding his teeth together. She glared at him, lifting the hand still holding her gun and used it to point at the door behind her which led back into the main house. “I want you to leave this crime scene and don't return, I’m not going to ask nicely again. I'll find you tomorrow to talk about your debrief but until then keep away from this case.” She told him, watching when he shrugged, the movement surprisingly elegant before he turned from her and picked up an old, rusty red tool box from the wooden workbench to the side of him.

“Whatever you say Detective, you're the one in charge here after all. I’m staying at the Moana inn” He told her, taking a step towards her and the exit.

“Leave the tool box behind Commander” She told him coldly, moving so she was blocking the exit with her body, a move which seemed to surprise him. Clearly he had thought she would let him leave with whatever he wanted as long as he left.

“This?” He said, lifting the box up and indicating it with a tilt of his head. “I came with this Detective, something you would have known if you had actually been here working the scene when I arrived earlier. This belongs to me” Danni breathed out noisily.

"You're right" She said simply. "It probably does belong to you, just like everything in this house now technically belongs to you and your sister but I know you're lying to me about coming with it because I know for a fact you didn't." She corrected him, moving toward where he was standing and slipping past him. She turned back to face him as he twisted on the spot so he could watch her. "You might wonder how I know this, well let me tell you because it's really quite simple, so simple that I can explain it to you with two facts. Fact number one, this" She said pointing with her gloved finger to the area where the tool box had been. "Is what is known as a dust void, dust voids only occur when an object which has been sitting somewhere for a while is moved. This dust void wouldn't have existed if you had come with that box because there wouldn't have been the time for the dust to settle around it to the degree it has done." She stated.

"And the second reason?" McGarrett asked after a slight pause.

"I saw that same box here three days ago and you were not here three days ago though I know you wish you had been" She said softly, a gentle tone slipping into her voice before she made herself harden it, becoming professional again. "What this means is that the tool box you're currently holding was here when you father was murdered which makes it evidence. Evidence can only be moved by a member of HPD or by a CSU agent. The last time I checked, you were a Lieutenant Commander in Naval Intelligence, not a police officer or CSU agent in the state of Hawaii which means you shouldn't be touching that box" She remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. "What is in the box which is important to you?" She questioned.

"I'd rather know how long you've actually been a Detective with the Honolulu PD or better yet how long you've actually been a Detective for. A year? A couple of months? Is this your first real case?"

"How is my resume any of your damn business?" She demanded, fighting the urge to shake him. McGarrett was without doubt the most frustrating man she had met since stepping foot on Hawaii and she had met a few. "Tell me, are you Barbara Walters in disguise or something because if you are then I would love an autograph, my mum and Aunt are both big fans and they'd be thrilled to receive them" She remarked sarcastically.

"It's my damn business when you're the lead Detective who has been investigating my father's murder." He snapped back at her, his eyes moving up and down her before they met her gaze, a look of fury in them which made another wave of anger hit her. Her palm was literally itching from the desire to slap him hard across the face. She forced herself to take a deep calming breath, reminding herself that McGarrett had just lost his father three days previously and was currently standing in the place where it had happened, that would be enough to shake anyone.

"I can assure you Commander that this isn't my first case or my first Homicide investigation" She told him simply. "And I promise that I am doing everything in my power to find the son of a bitch who did this to your father. But you, taking evidence from a scene for whatever reason, is stopping me from doing my job because instead of focusing on his case I'm having to focus on you instead. Every second I waste here is a second more that Hesse has to plan." She told him, there was a flash of something in his eyes at her words but it was gone before she could tell what it was

"Well in that case let me get out of your hair then and then you won't have to worry about me keeping you from your job Detective. I'd hate to do that after all" He replied sarcastically, turning from her and moving towards the door again the tool box still in his hand. Danni fragile control snapped for the first time in months, her hand curling into a fist at her side.

"Leave the goddamn box behind or get arrest McGarrett. I really don't care which choice you make anymore." She told him, her voice cold, stopping him in his track. He looked back over his shoulder towards her, his eyes dropping to her fist before he looked back at her face.

"Oh?" He said. "Are you going to call for some back up to give you a hand with that?" He asked, sounding almost curious. Danni tilted her head to the side, meeting his eyes directly.

"The only call I'll be making McGarrett is one to the ambulance service asking them to send someone to pick you up." She replied, watching as he did a double take at her words. He glanced at her as though he was properly seeing her for the first time, before he slowly put the box down on the old black car which was partially covered by a faded woollen blanket. She let out the breath she had been holding and spoke, feeling surprising drained. "Thank you."

"Oh no Detective Williams, I wouldn't be quite so quick to thank me yet," He remarked. Danni watched uneasily as McGarrett reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a business card which looked as though it had seen better days. He glanced at the number on the back and typed it into his phone hitting the connect button, his gaze meeting hers with a triumphant expression which did nothing to calm her sense of unease. Just who the hell was he calling? His Commanding Officer? Her Captain? Surely he must have realised that making a call like that would do him no good.

She spoke, unable to remain silent any longer.

"What are you doing now?" She demanded "Who are you calling?" A half-smile came to his face at her questions though he remained silent, instead holding up his hand to her in a classic stop sign which made her eyes narrow in reaction.

"Uh yeah, Governor Jameson please, tell her that it's Steve McGarrett calling."

Danni snorted, shaking her head as she cross her arms over her chest, her gaze flickering to McGarrett as he took a single step towards her so he was in her personal space. God he was tall, she hated when people made a point of looming over her trying to make a point. She straightened her spine, meeting his look with a challenging one, refusing to look away even when he took the phone away from his ear and pressed a button on the handset, holding it in his hand so it was between them.

"So what point are you trying to make exactly here?" She asked him. "That you have access to the Governor of Hawaii on speed dial? Well congratulations for that, if you think the fact you doing this is going to stop me from doing my job then I feel sorry for you because you're wasting everyone's time now. If you're holding the phone out for me to speak to her then don't bother. I would have thought there was more at stake here than pride like finding the man who took your father from you but clearly that's just my opinion on the matter" She stated. She saw a brief look of surprise which quickly melted into another expression but before she could catch what it was, he suddenly smiled banishing the look, as familiar female voice interrupted them. A voice she recognised instantly from the local news and radio stations.

"Commander? Its Governor Jameson here, I was hoping you would call me. How can I help you? Is it about what we discussed earlier?"

"It is" McGarrett confirmed, taking the call off of speaker now that he had made his point to her. "I've thought about the offer you made me and I've decided to take the job." He turned from her and moved away from her. Danni stared at his back for a moment before she looked away, twisting her body so she was facing the car. She leaned forward, resting her fists against the cool metal as she tried to rein her temper back in. If she didn't then she would probably end up punching McGarrett in his face. Whatever job he was talking about probably meant bad news for her.

She straightened slightly, glancing back towards him, surprised to see that his gaze was fixed on her again.

"Yeah let's just say I've found something which changed my mind" He told the Governor in response to whatever it was she said to him on the phone. Danni watched as he frowned slightly, looking away from her to the side, his attention clearly focused on the phone call now. "No, no, no I don't want to wait, immediately would be better for me. I'll speak to my commanding officer today and get transferred to the reserves so I can run your task force for you."

Danni's breath caught in her throat at his words. The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach growing as she watched a looked of confusion come to his face which was swiftly replaced by one of determination and understanding.

"Okay you want me to do it right now then? Okay oh yeah I've got a witness with me." He remarked, a tone of satisfaction coming to his voice as he looked at her again, holding his hand in the air before he turned from her so she was looking at his back and spoke, his voice coming out strong and confident, "I, Steven John McGarrett, do solemnly declare upon my honour and conscious…"

Danni gasped in surprise, unable to hide her noise of shock she made as she recognised the oath which every police officer took on the day they graduated from the police academy. Danni could still remember standing in front of her instructor after coming first in her class and year, her family and Duncan watching her proudly from the crowd, as she repeated the very same oath that McGarrett was saying now. The oath was for police though, it made no sense to her why an active Navy SEAL was saying the words to the governor of Hawaii over a phone call.

McGarrett finished the call, turning as he pushed his phone back into his pocket and looked at her, meeting her eyes as he very deliberately picked up the toolbox again from the car.

"I think you'll find that this is now my crime scene Detective, not yours" He declared before he turned and walked out of the garage leaving Danni rooted to the spot, staring at the door he closed behind him in shock, her mind whirling.

What the hell had just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read!!!


	3. Take the rest of the day Williams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're off the case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter three for you.
> 
> This is what I like to refer to as a missing scene, pretty much feeling in the gaps between the scenes in the show. I’m really enjoying writing this story and exploring everything. I’m trying to make it as realistic as possible. It seems as though male Danny had a bad time at HPD so it stands to reason in my mind that female Danni must have had a pretty awful time as well and that the majority of the Detectives, though not all of them, treat her very badly.
> 
> She does have Meka though and he is certainly her silver lining and he’s also extremely interesting to write. It’s definitely a friendship I hope to visit later on in the story and in the saga as well.
> 
> Anyway please enjoy!

________________________________________

23rd September 2010  
The McGarrett House  
2727 Piikoi Street  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
________________________________________

Danni shook her head slowly in disbelief, her eyes fixed on the empty doorway which McGarrett had just strolled out of, her mind still racing as she tried desperately to make some sense out of what she had just witness happen in front of her.

How on earth had she managed to lose control of the situation?

It should have been a simple matter of getting Steve McGarrett to leave her active crime scene, the same crime scene he shouldn't have been in, in the first place but instead it seemed as though she was the one who would have to leave.

Why had he said the police oath over to the phone to the Governor of all people? Steve McGarrett was not a police officer, he was a Lieutenant Commander who worked in the Naval Intelligence Unit, there was no police Academy training in his background at all so how could her crime scene suddenly be his crime scene, just like that?

It made no sense.

Even if McGarrett had somehow magically become an Officer of the law, the McGarrett murder would still belong to her and Meka. It was Captain Hookano who allocated the Homicide cases out to the Detective and he had chosen them as the lead on it. There would be no way that anyone would give the McGarrett case to his son to solve, he was too close to it all and the closer you were the more it screwed up your objectivity. Steve McGarrett could never be impartial in this case and that made him dangerous to building up a case against Hesse. One that would see the man rot in jail for the rest of his life.

Danni breathed out slowly, reaching up with her free hand and gripped the back of her neck, massaging it as she tried to ease the tension in the muscles as she continued to think.

There had been absolutely no talk or gossip from anyone at the precinct about a new taskforce being set up, especially one which seemed to be directly linked to the Governor herself. Danni might not have been on speaking terms with most of the Detective in the unit but she still made sure she listened to their chatter when she was seated at her desk or grabbing a coffee from the break room so she knew she was reasonably up to date with everything which was happening and yet there had been nothing.

Danni knew of at least four Detectives who would have jumped at the opportunity of moving from their current jobs, especially is that move happened to end up being a promotion for them with all the perks that came included with that. The fact that her friend Lily Nichols who was on dispatch hadn't mentioned anything to her when they had gone for drinks the previous week, also pointed to this being strange. Lily had befriended Danni on her first week and kept her in the loop. She would definitely have told Danni about it and encouraged her to put her CV forward for consideration.

The only explanation which made any sense to her was that the taskforce was something which was so brand new that no one had had the chance to hear about it yet. Perhaps it was something the Governor had decided to set up because she was in her campaign year and wanted to show the citizens of Hawaii that she valued their safety. If that was the point then why had she asked a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy to head it up? Why not open it up to the Detective on the island who had all been trained in the way policing worked.

Danni nibbled at her lower lip, moving her hand away from her neck as she finally looked away from the doorway to look around the rest of the garage. Whatever the whole taskforce thing was, it wasn't her concern. It wasn't as though she was going to be picked for the task force, especially not with Steve McGarrett in charge. The most she could hope for was that one or two of her main tormentors in the office would be picked and transferred finally giving her some peace. The only thing she needed to focus on right now was whether the John McGarrett case was still hers and Meka’s or not.

McGarrett hasn't told her to leave the house but at the same time he hadn't told her to make herself comfortable and stay either. She didn't even know whether he was still somewhere within the house or if he had left with the toolbox, perhaps heading back to his room at the hotel he was staying at. She frowned as her mind fixed on the red box. What was it about it which had been important enough for the Commander to ring the Governor and accept a job position just to make sure he could take it with him? Was there something in there about the case or was it just a box which were full of memories that McGarrett didn't want anyone to view apart from himself?

What she need to do was get back to the office and speak to Captain Hookano directly to update him on what had happened to see whether he could shed some light on everything. If it turned out that McGarrett had somehow played her and her and Meka were still the lead on the case then she would hand him his ass on a plate right after she took that tool box away from him.

God she hoped that this was still her crime scene and her case otherwise all the hard work she and Meka had put into it over the past three days; the countless sleepless nights spent pouring over countless CSU reports and photos, ME Reports and background checks while Grace slept; the files she had to make up from scratch due to the inferior one which they had been handed in the first place, the hours spent chasing down every lead and questioning them, leads which would have gone unnoticed if not for them; would have all been for nothing, and all because of one arrogant Navy SEAL with a mobile phone and the Governor’s number on speed dial.

Danni’s eyes narrowed as her mind focused on Steve McGarrett, a wave of anger washing over her.

What the hell had the man been thinking in the first place to come to an active crime scene and contaminating it? She refused to believe that he didn't know the proper procedure on how a crime scene was run, Jesus, everyone and their mother, knew what to do now because of the countless of cop shows telling them. But no apparently McGarrett believes he’s above normal procedure and instead just waltz in, with no gloves on that she could see and just decided to start moving things. If he moved the tool box then it stood to reason that he had moved other things as well. Though what those things were difficult to tell without the initial crime scene photos which were currently in her bag back in the living room.

Danni’s hand curled into a fist at her side as another wave of anger washed over her. She should hunt down McGarrett and throttle him for his interference or at least punch him in the face, something to show her frustration at the situation. It wouldn't do much good in the large scale of things but it would certainly make her feel better in the short term.

She took a few deep breathes, allowing herself to calm down, losing her temper in a situation like this wouldn't do her any good. She had to remain rational and use her brain. She needed to speak to the Captain and find out where she stood, there was always a slim, remote chance that he could get the McGarrett case back from the new taskforce based on the fact that they were already mid-way through the investigation and making progress. Danni didn't give a damn about Steve McGarrett or the Governor of Hawaii or the secret club which the two of them clearly belonged to together. All she gave a damn about was finding Victor Hesse and bringing him to justice so she could close the case once and for all and focus her mind on more important things like organising her daughter’s birthday party which was happening at the end of October.

The way McGarrett had gone about this was wrong though, surely even he could see how irregular and unprofessional it was to take a case from the team who were working on it, especially when that team was actually getting answers and making progress in building a case against the defendant. Danni knew that they were getting close to closing the case, she knew exactly how Hesse had done the thing from start to finish, all that was left to do was obtain an arrest warrant and find him. She would take great pleasure in arresting the son of a bitch that much she knew for certain.

Danni reached up, running her hand down her face with a sigh before she pinched at her lower lip, a thoughtful expression coming across her features. She would have to speak to Meka before she did anything else and fill him in on exactly had happened moments before. This case was as much his as it was hers and she knew just how invested he was in solving it and bringing Hesse in. She wondered how he would take the news when Danni broke it to him. Would he get pissed off and get that constipated look he sometimes got when he wanted to punch something hard or would he simply sigh and shake it off like he tended to do with most things? It was difficult to know exactly how he would react.

Shaking her head, Danni moved swiftly across the garage floor and through the door back into the kitchen. She glanced around her, taking everything in as she closed the door behind her before she crossed the kitchen and went through at door, stopping outside in the hallway. This time she took longer to look around her. She couldn't see or hear any sign of McGarrett but she knew well enough that, that meant nothing. McGarrett was a man who had been trained for years by his superiors to become invisible to the enemies eyes. He could be hidden somewhere behind her or to the side of her or even hidden in a corner and she wouldn't even know it until he chose to reveal himself to her. The thought that her own extensive training would probably be useless against him was an unnerving one when she allowed herself to consider it.

Danni pulled a face at her thoughts, forcing herself to let go of the door handle behind her. She straightened her shoulders, took a deep breathe before she moved away from the kitchen door towards the living room and study area where she had left her bag and mobile. The door was partially closed so she pushed it open and stepped into the room, her eyes automatically landed on the already familiar tall frame of McGarrett. At least one of the many questions buzzing round her head had now been answered.

She hesitated for a moment, watching him carefully. He stood in the study, in front of the chair where his father had been tied up and spent his final moments, staring down at it with a blank, unreadable expression on his face. He could almost have been made of stone. Danni swallowed, looking away suddenly feeling as though she was trespassing on his private grief. She looked towards her bag before silently cursing realising that her mobile was still on the desk in the study from where she had taken the picture of the palm print.

Danni moved into the room, her eyes flickering towards McGarrett as she moved behind him towards the desk. He made no movement but she was willing to bet that he was aware of every move she made, She tried to ignore the feeling as she leant down and picked her mobile up off of the desk surface and quickly left the study, heading back across the living room to the brown leather chair she had dropped her bag in. She checked the safety on her gun was on before she placed it and the phone into her bag. The adhesive gloves followed, she wrinkled up her nose slightly, hating the feel of the powder on her skin before she dropped those into the bag as well, running through a mental list that she now had everything she had come with before she zipped it up. Rubbing her hands together, she smoothed one palm down the skirt of her dress before she straightened the bottom and picked up her bag, placing it on her shoulder.

She was ready to go.

Danni turned and had taken one step when her brain registered the fact that McGarrett had left the study and was now standing between her and the living room door.

She stilled, watching the tall man carefully to see exactly what he would do. She was a good read of character and she was sure that McGarrett was no longer a threat to her but she had learnt the hard way that gut feelings or no she needed to remain vigilant and always on guard. She raised an eyebrow slightly when he spoke, the previous aggression which had flavoured his voice before gone as though it had never existed in the first place, now he merely sounded profession and calm though Danni could detect a concealed, undercurrent of exhaustion to his voice. She found herself wondering when the last time he had slept was, probably not since his father had died, he had probably be running through different ways he could have handled it, ways which might have meant that his father was still alive. Danni blinked, surprised by the pity she felt for McGarrett before she forced herself to listen to what he was saying to her.

“I didn't expect you to still be here.” He commented, reaching up and running his hand through his short hair. It was the first casual, non-planned movement she had seen him make since they had met and it helped ease some of the tension coiling in her stomach. “I would have thought that you would have stormed out of here the first chance you could.”

Danni’s eyes narrowed at the assumption, she bit down on the urge to respond with a sarcastic comment, knowing that it would show the man in front of her that he had gotten under her skin. Her brother had taught her that you never showed your hand to anyone until you were sure of them and that was what she planned to do. Instead of replying she merely remained silent, regarding McGarrett with what she hoped was a thoughtful expression as she mentally counted to five, allowing the wave of annoyance which had come over her to disperse before she spoke. Her voice coming out quiet and steady.

“Considering I left my belonging in here, including my car keys it would have been a pretty stupid move to make on my part to storm out, don’t you think” She remarked, making the comment into a statement rather than into a question.

She saw his eyes narrow slightly in a thoughtful manner before he nodded at her, acknowledging the comment. She expected him to say something more but instead his eyes dropped to the bag she was holding, his eyebrow quirking up slightly as though he was surprised by it. He probably was, from Danni’s experience, men and women in the military tended only to carry the bare essentials with them at any one time, they certainly wouldn't have a large bag which could fit as much in it as Danni’s bag could. If she had known him better than she would have explained that a bag this size was needed due to the fact that she had a CSU pack in there for situations like this, but she didn't say a word, merely meeting his eyes when they came back up to hers, the hazel eyes showing nothing.

“I’m going to need all the files and the evidence which you have for this case Detective” He informed her calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. Danni’s eyes dropped to his muscles involuntarily before she forced her eyes back up to his face, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the small slip up. She met his gaze, tilting her head slightly to the side and wondered whether there had been anyone in his life who had said no to him or disobeyed one of his orders. She felt her mouth curl up into a small smile as she made the decision that right now would be as good as time as any for the Commander to realise that not only did his rank not get him everything he wanted right then and there but that his rank had no sway over her. He might have been part of the navy but Danni was a police Detective who had earned her stripes in the streets of New Jersey on cases which made even the McGarrett case seem like a walk in the park. She did not intimidate easily and she was determined that McGarrett would learn that.

“I’m sure you are going to need them all” She agreed with a nod of her head. “But I'm afraid that there’s procedure to follow, procedure I'm sure you're well aware of” She stated, keeping the smile off her face with difficulty when she saw the flash of confusion in his eyes. “If you want the files which my partner and I have made up and to become responsible for the evidence we've gathered then you'll have to fill in the necessary forms to do it down at the precinct. They shouldn’t take long, just a hour or two and of course you'll have to get them all countered sign by Captain Hookano, but of course you know all of this already, don't you Commander” She stated, hearing the icy note which had descended into her voice, a note which would have warned anyone who knew her well, that now would be the time to dive for cover. “Have a good day Commander” She commented, moving swiftly towards him and slipping past him out of the living room and to the front door before he could stop her or say anything else to her.

It was a childish thing to do considering that she had half the files which he needed in her bag while the others were locked away in her desk drawer. She could have easily handed him the ones she had with him so he could make a start but she hadn’t. She couldn't help the small glimmer of satisfaction she felt knowing that he would have to go out of his way to get what he needed. The man had to learn that he wasn't in the military now and that he couldn't make a demand off of someone and just expect it to be obeyed because he was gorgeous with a nice sounding voice. He had to learn that to get his way in the real world he had to ask people for their help and cooperation, not demand it.

Besides she had no way of knowing for sure whether McGarrett was speaking the truth when he said the crime scene was now his. Until she heard from Captain Hookano that John McGarrett’s murder was no longer a HPD case then she would act as though she and Meka were the leads and McGarrett just a civilian with an understandable interest in the case. Hookano would rip her a new one and probably suspend her if she had just handed over classified files on the say so of someone other than himself.

Danni left the house, pulling the front door shut behind her and looked around her, bringing her hand up and resting it on her forehead to protect her eyes from the glare of the sun. She hesitated for a moment, breathing in the heavy scent of blooming flowers, before she made her way down the pathway towards her car, the sun felt good against the bare skin of her arms making her glad that she had left her cardigan hanging over her chair at work. She stopped next to the driver’s door and looked towards the road. She couldn't see any parked cars on the road which meant that McGarrett had either parked further down in an attempt to remain unnoticed by any nosy neighbours John might have had or he had walked from the hotel he was staying at. Either option was a viable one.

Making a mental note to see what McGarrett had been up to since he had arrived on the island, Danni unlocked the car, pulling the door open and slipped into the interior with a thankful sigh. She closed it behind her, throwing her bag into the empty passenger seat and inserted the key into the ignition, starting the engine and hitting the air con button. She allowed herself a moment to sit there, enjoying the cool breeze before she grabbed her sunglasses from the dashboard, slipping them onto her nose and reversed out of the driveway, her gaze flickering down to the pink bunny which was still stuffed in the back from earlier. She would have to do something with it. She looked at the McGarrett house one last time before she drove away from it, heading towards the freeway which would take her back to the precinct.

The fifteen minute drive to the precinct was quiet and uneventful, the traffic was surprising light and the threatening silence was broken by the music which Grace always insisted they listened to on the way to school. Admitted Danni was ready to pull her hair out if she heard one more song from High School Musical Three but she couldn’t find the energy to mess around with it either. Danni sighed as she hit the indicator, twisting the steering wheel to the right as she pulled up into the car park outside the precinct, lifting her hand up in thanks to the driver who had let her in before she wound down her window, a smile coming to her face at the familiar face of Jimmy Lee appeared by her.

Jimmy was the security guard who operated the barrier to the precinct. He had been on the force for forty years before he partially retired, giving up his own beat for a booth and a supply of coffee and masalas. Danni found herself liking him, possibly because he was one of the only people who didn't seem to care that she was a female mainlander. He treated her the same as everyone else and it was something she appreciated more than she could say.

“Hi Jimmy” She said, reaching up and picking her badge up, flashing it towards him so he could see it.

“Hey Danielle, that was a quick trip for ya” Jimmy commented. “Things didn't pan out for you?” He questioned, his dark eyes soft as she shook her head.

“You know how it goes” She responded, dropping the badge when he took a step back to the side of the booth.

“Indeed I do Danielle, Indeed I do.” Danni smiled as he pressed the buzzer which activated the barrier, she waited until it was up before she drove through with a wave at him. She drove for a moment, her eyebrow rising in surprise when she saw that her reserved parking space was actually free for once. She had lost track of the number of times she had arrived at work to find it taken by one of the other Detectives. They always gave her the same bullshit reason when she confronted them about it, stating that they had been on the force for longer and therefore deserved the closer space than some little Haole who was still fresh from the mainland. A female Haole at that who clearly didn't belong on their island. After hearing the same comment nine times in a row from nine different Detectives, Danni had simply stopped mentioning it, instead parking in the first available space she found which wasn't reserved. She had learnt pretty quickly since starting in the force when an argument was worth fighting to win and when it wasn't and this was one which wasn't worth it.

Danni pulled her car into the spot and killed the engine, taking a moment to gather her things together before she pushed the door open and got out, using her hip to close it behind her. She adjusted her bags and locked the car behind her, turning to the elegant bricked building which housed the Honolulu Police Department. She watched it for a second, a small bitter smile coming to her face.

It was still hard to believe that it had only been six months since she had arrived to the precinct for the first time. She could still remember how impressed she had been with it. Her old Precinct in New Jersey had been housed in an old building which had always been in desperate need for some work to be done on it. The building in front of her had looked brand new in comparison. It had taken Danni exactly two days to realise that looks could be deceiving and while the outer building might have been beautiful to look at, everything which she experienced on the inside was merely ugly in a way it had never been in New Jersey. Now instead of being impressed that she was able to work in a place like this, she merely tolerated it, counting down each and every second on a daily basis until she was able to leave and go back home. She would go as far as to say that she hated the place with the same passion which she normally reserved for the worst kind of scum which she encountered on the job.

Danni patted the top of her car absently before she made her way across the crowded car park and up the shallow stone steps which led into the main building. She pulled open the large wooden door and stepped through, heading to the security barrier and holding her card against the scanner, stepping through when the small gate in front of her opened. She headed cross the reception area towards the elevator, keeping her head down as she did. It was much easier to ignore the looks she constantly received if she couldn't see them in the first place. She hit the call button, smiling slightly when one to the left of her opened straight away. She lingered to the side of the door as various people spilled out, talking and laughing loudly with each other clearly keen getting out of the building for a short while. She stepped in, hitting the button for the seventh floor and the closed door button before anyone else could join her in there. It had just gone eleven thirty which meant that the majority of the Detectives would be out and about on their cases or taking an early lunch break which meant that the main area should actually be fairly quiet for once.

She would have time to get to her desk, dump her bag, pick up her coffee mug and make herself a drink quickly. She needed to look at the original crime scene photos which CSU had taken to see whether McGarrett had moved anything other than the tool box. She also wanted to read the initial report to see whether a palm print was mentioned was whether the sinking feeling in her stomach that McGarrett had something to do with that was correct. If she was lucky than Meka would be back at his desk and she could fill him in on what happened. Once he knew everything which she did then they would be able to come up with a plan of attack and go together to see Captain Hookano about McGarrett.

The elevator came to a stop on the seventh floor and the door slid open. Danni tightened her grip on the strap of the bag and left the elevator, turning the corner and walking down the short corridor, past the kitchen and turned right, pushing the door in front of her open and stepped into the open planned seating area where all the Detective of the Honolulu Police Department were based.

It was hot in the room indicating that once again the air con system was malfunctioning, Someone had opened the windows but there was little breeze coming through and what did was warm. Danni was surprised to find the room crowded, as far as she could tell there were only five or six Detective missing. The room was awash with loud chatter and laughter mingled with the sound of fingers tapping against keyboards or clicking away at mouse’s, even the photocopy machine and fax machine were beeping away. The familiar sound of a bustling workplace would have almost been pleasant if she wasn't already fully aware of what an act it was.

She watched as a large group of Detectives led by Detective Yakama turned as on to look at her as she entered, their eyes moving up and down her body with a look that made her either want to turn and walk out or start cracking skulls. She thought they might make a scathing comment towards her but instead they all smirked, turning away and continuing their discussion, shifting slightly so they all had their backs towards her making it clear without words that she was not welcome in the room.

For a moment Danni froze, overcome by a wave of homesickness for New Jersey and her old team there. She had always known that she would miss it there but she had never known that she would miss it this much. The job in New Jersey had been difficult, time consuming and at times it had been extremely gruesome. The cases back home were messier and complicated and nothing like what she had experienced here in Hawaii. For every case they had solved there had been at least eight more cases to take its place but despite all of that Danni had loved every second of it. She had, had her own team. A team of eight individuals who has gotten on like a house. However hard the work had been they had still managed to have a laugh together. She had trusted each and every member of her team to have her back and she knew they had trusted her as well. Her partner Rory had been like a brother to her and was still someone she spoke to once or twice a week. The team had done stuff socially together as well, they had gone for pizza, they had gone bowling and they had even gone drinking together. They had felt like a family, a large dysfunctional family but a family none the less, nothing like Hawaii. Even now the eight of them were still in regular contact over the phones and emails. Danni only wished that when she had left New Jersey she had been allowed to bring them all with her, if she had then maybe things would have been more bearable for her.

Danni swallowed hard, forcing her face into the same thoughtful expression that she normally wore in the office and crossed the room to the corner where her desk was, thankful to see that Meka was seated at the desk opposite hers. He was staring down at his desk, eyes fixed on a file on the surface of it with a look on his face which was torn between concentration and boredom. The look brought a smile to her face as she wondered how many times she had seen that look before.

Danni stopped next to her desk, noticing once again that it was the only neat one which was in the office, how the others could work on desks with dirty cups and piles of paperwork spilling across the surface in no discernible order was beyond her. If they had, had a desk like that in New Jersey then they would have found themselves in front of their Captain for a bollocking.

“Hey Danni,” Meka said glancing up at her as she pulled out her seat, bending down and placing her bag under the desk. “What’s been happening?” Danni looked up, meeting his curious look.

“A lot” She told him, lowering her voice, her eyes flickering around her, she moved to Meka’s desk and perched herself on the side of it, twisting her body so that they couldn't see her face before she spoke. “Something has happened with the McGarrett case, can we go somewhere and talk, we can…” She stopped abruptly, wincing when the familiar deep, booming voice of Captain Hookano burst across the room, drowning out the other voices which all fell silent at the sound.

“Williams, in my office now!”

Danni pulled a face at Meka, watching as the other man sat straighter in his chair, glancing over her shoulder towards the Captain’s office before he looked back at her with a confused frown.

“Danni-girl what’s happened? Tell me quickly” He demanded quietly. Danni shook her head at him.

“There’s not enough time but I promise I’ll tell you as soon as I can. It’s not great news though” She said before she pushed herself to her feet and headed over to the office, ignoring the smirking face from her fellow Detectives as they watched her progress. All attempts of pretending to work on their cases forgotten in light of her public summoning. It was a well-known fact that Hookano only called Detectives into her office to rip them a new one.

Danni licked at her lips nervously before she tilted her head back, her gaze fixing on the Captain as she approached him. He was a tall man, standing well over six feet tall and built as though he went to the gym religiously every day. It was either he worked out or he had a supply of steroids which he happily used. Sharp black eyes watched her approach with a look which made her want to turn round and walk right out of the door. Instead she forced herself to keep moving towards him, walking past him into his office and coming a halt in front of her desk, her back dead straight as she casually clasped her hands in front of her. Captain Hookano was the sort of man who thrived on people showing their fear to him and Danni was determined that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. So she waited quietly, listening as he pulled down the blinds, blocking them from the view of the others Detectives.

She watched from the corner of her eyes as the Captain moved past her, heading round the large desk and sinking into the leather seat behind it. His movements were surprisingly graceful for a man of his size. He sat in silence for a moment, his gaze moving over her face as though he was trying to figure out what she was thinking before he sighed and leaned back in his seat.

“So Detective Williams” He said, tapping his fingertips against the armrest on his chair. “I've just gotten off the phone with the Governor of Hawaii who was ringing me to inform me that she has decided to set up a new taskforce to deal with the cases she thinks is beyond our capabilities of solving.” He told her, Danni blinked though she kept silent waiting to see what the Captain was going with this. “As far as I can see this this taskforce sole purpose is to get in the way of our ability to do our jobs. They will outrank us and they have the ability to take over any case they want even if we've already started the investigation. We’re of course meant to assist them to the best of our abilities if they ask for help whether that help is by providing them with information or back up. Pretty much from what I gather they ask us to jump and we are to ask them how high.” He finished, his hands tightening on the armrest to the point that his knuckles whitened from the pressure.

Danni shifted on the spot, her frown growing as she wondered why exactly the Captain was telling her all of this. She wasn't one of the Detectives who the Captain tended to confide in. If anything they barely spoke to each other except for when he gave her and Meka new case or spoke to them in a meeting. The last time we had spoken more than a few sentences to her hand been back when he had given her, her introduction on her first day before delivering her into Meka’s capable hands.

“You're probably wondering why exactly I’m telling you this of all people” He continued to say as though he had read her mind. “Well let me enlighten you Detective Williams. I’m telling you this because the Governor saw fit to tell me that Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett had agreed to head up the taskforce for her. This would be the very same Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett who happens to be the only son of the murder victim in the case you and Hanamoa are trying to solve. So let me ask you this, have you met the Commander yet?” He demanded.

“I've met him” Danni admitted after a pause, her mind bringing up the smug look which had been on McGarrett’s face just before the Governor answered his call. At least she now knew why she was having him swear in. She looked towards the Captain, her eyes narrowing slightly, she felt as though she was at the edge of something and one wrong step might send her into a world of trouble.

“And tell me, when you met the Commander, did he happen to mention anything to you about his brand new task force? Did he perhaps explain his motivations to you? Why he was taking the role on perhaps? I've noticed the trend of witnesses confiding in you Williams, clearly they find you comforting to talk to so did he talk to you?” The Captain asked in a quiet tone, a tone which was so in contrast with his normal tone that it placed her on edge.

“No not exactly Sir” Danni replied coolly. “We didn't speak for long and he certainly didn't confide in me nor would I expect him to either. I'm a stranger to him.”

“So when you say not exactly what do you mean Detective? Perhaps you could expand on that statement for me. Either the Commander mentioned it to you or he didn’t.” Hookano stated, glancing away from her face to study his short fingernails as though the answer to his question was unimportant to him. Danni was good enough at reading body languages to know that her answer mattered a great deal for him.

“I mean not exactly Captain” She responded “I met the Commander this morning for the first time when I went back to the McGarrett house to look into a potential lead. The Commander was already in the house when I arrived there. I told him to leave and he didn't so we exchanged some words with each other. He called the Governor’s office on his mobile while I was there and they spoke to each other but I didn't know what they were actually talking about. He hung up the phone and told me that it was now his crime scene and it was at that point that I left and came back here.” She answered him, falling silent as the Captain sat forward on his seat, resting his thick forearm on the surface of his desk and linking his fingers together, his dark gaze never leaving her face.

“So what you're telling me Detective is that the Commander met you at his father’s house and then decided to accept an offer from the Governor to run her taskforce because he objected to you telling him to leave an active crime scene during an ongoing investigation. He took the job because he wanted the power to tell you to leave the premises. Have I got it right?” He stated flatly.

Danni frowned at him, crossing her arms defensively over her chest, her stomach churning as she felt herself growing angry at the accusing tone he was using against her.

“I have no idea what his reasoning are behind his decisions. If you wanted to know Sir then you would have to speak to the Commander directly and ask him. And for the record he never asked me to leave his house, he simply told me that the crime scene was his and that was it, he left the room after that without another word” She answered him firmly, briefly wondering why McGarrett hadn't asked her to leave his father’s home. He had obviously been surprised when he found out that she was still there but she hadn't picked up any annoyance from him.

“So this whole situation could very easily be down to you and your talent at riling up the natives then?” The captain stated, Danni narrowed her eyes at him.

“I don't think that assessment is true neither do I think that’s it a fair assumption for you to make, I-”

“No, no Williams” He interrupted her, holding up his index finger to stop her from continuing. “I wasn't asking you to share your opinion with me. I was merely stating what appears to be the fact of the case. As far as I can see, the Commander met you, interacted with you and then rang the Governor in front of you I might add and agreed to run a task force for her which he might not have agreed to initially just because he wanted to pull rank on your ass and take the case from you. Clearly once again Detective Williams you have managed to make a great impression.”

Danni remained silent for a moment before she began speaking, her voice low and icy.

“Well the Commander didn't exactly make a fantastic first impression either Captain” She told him, her hands lifting and sweeping through the air, the only visible sign of her anger. “The man entered an active crime scene knowing full well that he should not have been anywhere near the place. He moved and tampered with evidence, choosing to move things around and when I saw him he had no gloves on which means he’s not doubt left his fingerprints there. So yes we had words with each other, and yes they weren't friendly words but I was only trying to limit the amount of damage that the man was causing because it’s part of my job. McGarrett might be a former navy SEAL and he might have served his country but he knows nothing about how real policing is done and what’s worst is he doesn't even care because it seems to me that he thinks he’s above the laws which the rest of us follow. He believes that he can bark out some orders and everyone will drop to the ground and roll over for him. That might have happened in the navy for him but he’s not in the navy right now, he’s in real life and he needs to learn that what he believes isn't necessarily right. He might think that he’s the best man to solve his father’s murder but he’s the worst because how can he remain objective when it’s his own father? He can’t and Hesse will get away because of it.” Danni stopped speaking, shaking her head in surprise at just how much McGarrett had gotten under her skin. In six months she had never said so much to anyone who wasn't Meka in their department. She ignored the look of amusement and thoughtfulness in the Captain’s eyes as she brought her hands down, interlocking her fingers together to keep them still before she spoke again. “All I want is the chance to bring Hesse in for justice for what he’s done. I know Meka and I can do it and I know we're the best people for the job. Can you not speak to the Governor about it? Explain the situation to her?”

“No I can’t, you need to realise that you've messed up with this Detective Williams” He snapped at her, his voice rising to a level where it would clearly be heard out in the bulpen area. She blinked when he jabbed his finger at her, looking briefly like he wanted to strangle her.

“With all due respect Captain, I think you'll find that I haven't messed up at any stage during this investigation. You tasked me and Meka to find the man who killed John McGarrett in cold blood and to bring him to justice and that is exactly what we've spent the last three days doing. All you need to do is look at our files and our reports to see just how much ground has been made on this. You know as well as I do that Meka and I are the best Homicide Detectives you have in this department, all we need is a few more days to find him and then the case is closed. You owe us that.”

The Captain remained silent making Danni wonder whether she had overstepped the mark with what she had said but he sighed and spoke.

“I probably do owe you that Danielle but you need to realise it’s not going to happen” He responded, coming to his feet and towering over her. Danni shot him a startled look at the use of her first name. No one in the Detective pen apart from Meka ever called her Danielle or Danni, they only called her Haole or Williams until she found herself wondering whether they had actually bothered to learn what her name was. She blinked when the Captain continued speaking. “The fact of the matter is that regardless of what work you and Hanamoa have put into the case and whatever leads you might have found, doesn’t matter anymore because this case is no longer a HPD case. This case belongs to Steve McGarrett and whoever else it is who will end up on his task force with him. Now you can stand there Detective and try and talk me round until you're blue in the face, you can stand there and stare at me with your big grey eyes and flutter your long lashes and attempt it that way as well but it’s not changing what happened. My hands are tied, you and Hanamoa are off the McGarrett case Williams, I suggest you go to and get it out of your system and accept the fact and deal with them” He stated, running his hand down his face before he looked back at her. “Look take the rest of the day, find something to do with it and be back at your desk tomorrow morning at 8.30 for the morning briefing. Hanamoa will be finished with his side case by then and I have at least two cases with your name on them. Just put the McGarrett case from your mind.”

Danni stared up at him, feeling as though he had just slapped her hard in the face. She dug her fingernails into the soft flesh of her palm making sure her face was clear of emotion, trying to ignore the fact that she had just been dismissed for the day as though she was a little girl who was still at school. She brought her head up slightly and opened her mouth to speak when he shook his head.

“Whatever it is you're about to say to me I suggest you just save it. I’m not interested in hearing your opinion on things right now. Now go and gather your things and leave. I don't want to see you in the building for the rest of the day. I won't repeat my orders to you again Detective.”

Danni bit down hard on her inner cheek, focusing on the pain as she felt her face heat up as though she was going red. She didn't trust herself to speak so instead she gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement before she turned and headed to the office door, pulling it open and stepped out into to bulpen, closing it behind her. She allowed herself one second to stand there and gather herself before she glanced around, taking in the amused, pleased expression on most of the Detectives face, her mind making a separate note of the faces which looked sorry for her, perhaps she had more allies than she had initially thought. She glanced towards her desk, her eyes widening as they met Steve McGarrett’s hazel eyes. He was sitting on the edge of her desk, ignoring all the looks being cast towards him. Danni moved swiftly across the room towards him, ignoring the comments the other Detective shot at her.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, stopping in front of Steve. “And have you no respect? Get your ass off of my desk.”

McGarrett raised his eyebrow at her, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture as he came slowly to his feet, the movement reminding her of a lion stretching out its muscle. She brushed past him and took her seat, reaching up and pushing some of the stray strands which had escaped her hairstyle away from her face before she looked up at her. “Is there something I can help you with Commander?” She asked him politely. She kept his gaze as he twisted round so he was facing her placing his palms on the surface of her desk and leaned in towards her.

“Yes you can Detective, you told me to come down here to fill in some forms which needed to be countersigned by Captain Hookano if I want the files on my father’s murder case so that’s what I'm here to do. Perhaps since you're so knowledgeable with the forms needed you could get them for me so I can get on.”

Danni stared at him for a moment, ignoring the sound of shocked disbelief which left Meka’s mouth at McGarrett’s comment. She continued to stare at him.

“I'm a Detective not a PA” She told him softly before her eyes flickered away to look at Meka who was staring at the two of them. She glanced behind McGarrett in time to see the Captain come out of his office, his gaze instantly landing on McGarrett. He said something to one of the other Detective’s before he headed over, Danni’s gaze moved back to McGarrett, surprised to see him still staring at her with the same intent expression. “But here comes Captain Hookano and I'm sure he'd be delighted to assist you with any queries you might have” She remarked turning away from him.

She watched from the corner of his eyes as he pushed himself off her desk and turned to face the Captain just as he arrived. Hookano’s gaze moved between Danni and Meka before they focused on McGarrett.

“You must be Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett” Hookano stated, holding out a beefy hand towards McGarrett. “The Governor informed me over the phone that you would be coming down to see me today over something.”

Danni watched as Steve took Hookano’s offered hand, shaking it before he quickly dropped it, his eyes flickering towards Danni’s for a moment with an unreadable look before he turned his attention back to Hookano.

“I am” McGarrett responded, his voice coming across as emotionless and cold, a completely different tone from the other ones she had heard him use. Hookano nodded at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m sorry if Detective Williams caused you any problems earlier on. She is still fairly new here on the island and she doesn’t quite understand yet that things here are done differently than they are on the mainland. Rest assured though Commander that Williams and I have already had words over it and she won't be troubling you further in regards to your father’s case.” Hookano stated.

Danni kept her face free of emotions with difficulty, focusing her gaze on Meka who was looking torn between anger on her behalf and sympathy. She quickly lowered her eyes to her desk, cursing silently as she felt her cheeks redden again through a mixture of rage and embarrassment.

“There was no need for that” McGarrett commented, his voice still expressionless. “The Detective was only doing her job. I do however need the paperwork to transfer the case other so I can get her files.

“There’s no need for that” Hookano responded with a wave of his hand. “Considering the circumstances we can forego the paperwork on this occasion. Hand over your files to the Commander Williams on your way out of the building. Go and enjoy the rest of your day, perhaps you could go to the beach and work on your suntan still you're still looking pale.”

Danni felt her face flush further as she fought the strong urge to tell the Captain to go fuck himself she resisted the urge, bringing up a mental picture of her daughter in her mind. She needed to keep this job for Grace’s sake. She couldn't risk getting fired.

“Now Detective” The Captain remarked coldly. “Don't keep the Commander waiting any longer.”

“Would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on here?” Meka demanded, breaking his silence as he came to his feet. “Why are we handing over the files for the McGarrett case to the victim’s son?”

“The Commander here is now in charge of the newly formed Governor Taskforce. His first move was to take over his father’s murder case for his own.” Hookano answered him, a tone in his voice telling them not to question him further on the subject.

“That’s bullshit” Meka stated angrily. “So you're telling me that he just waltzes in here and takes over the case that we're working on? The case that we’ve busted our guts over for the past three days?” He glared at Hookano and McGarrett, a look of dislike in his black eyes before he turned to Danni as she came to her feet, placing her bag on the table. “Danni” He said his voice softening with disbelief. “You seriously can’t be okay with this? You put more work into this case than anyone. You were the one who found all the leads. You found what little evidence there was to start building up a case for the DA. You even made the freaking files up and now you're just going to past the case over to someone who has no policing experience and who will probably mess the entire case up? Come on Danni girl, you can't be serious.” He stated.

Danni sighed, reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck, opening her mouth to speak only to close it a moment later when Hookano beat her to it.

“She doesn't have a choice in the decision Hanamoa and neither do you.” He told Meka firmly. “Now pass over the files to the Commander, I won't tell the pair of you again, next time you argue you get a written warning.”

Danni unzipped her bag and reached into it, pulling out the file from inside and placed them on her desk before she took out her keys and unlocked her desk drawer, she hunted through it for a second before she came across the remaining two files and took them out, placing them with the other. She locked the drawer again and gathered the file, taking the three which Meka held out to her before she offered the pile to McGarrett. He took them from her, his gaze fixed on her face with a look she couldn't read.

“That’s all of them” She told him. “Everything in there should help you nail Hesse to the wall when you and your team locate him. I hope you find him soon Commander and make him pay for everything that he’s done.” She stated, forcing a polite smile on her face when she turned to Hookano. “Sir” She said coolly before she turned to Meka, her fixed smile softening into a genuine one. “I’ll give you a call later on this evening okay?” She said, waiting until he nodded at her before she shouldered her bag and turned from them, walking as quickly as she could towards the exit. She knew the others were talking about her but she ignored them. Whatever it was that they were saying wouldn't be good.

Danni made her way to the elevators, hitting the call button and stepping in when they opened, she turned round and hit the button for the ground floor with only one thought going through her head.

She never wanted to see Steve McGarrett again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read


	4. We’re going to get along great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Besides Detective, you don’t have a choice in the matter. The Governor had given my jurisdiction and I’ve already made you my partner..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter!
> 
> I've always been determined that female Danni would have more friends than male Danny seems to have. It's never made sense to me that he didn't so yeah.... this chapter explores some of that...
> 
> Enjoy

\----------------------------------------  
23rd September 2010  
Honolulu Police Department  
2-10 Main Street  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
\----------------------------------------

Danni leaned against the back of the elevator, allowing her eyes to drift shut for a moment as she focused on her breathing, keeping it steady in an attempt to will the tension out of her body before she ended up with a headache from it all. She couldn't remember the last time she had been angry, there had been plenty of times she had been annoyed, especially on days she had been on desk duty, but the last time she had felt true anger was back in New Jersey when she realised that Duncan was going to get his way and there was nothing she could do about it.

She wanted to stop the elevator and go back to the seventh floor, storm through the room until she was back in the bulpen and punch Captain Hookano as hard as she could round the face, once she had done that she would turn her attention to every Detective who had been smirking at her, enjoying her public dressing down. Only she knew she couldn't do that, she couldn't even hint at the thoughts which were going round her head. She always had to be on guard and always without suspicion on her or she would be in trouble.

All she could do to relieve her frustration was go into her small garage later on, once all Grace’s needs were met and she was safely in bed, and take out her growing rage on the battered punch bag which Meka had helped her set up there. It had originally belong to her older brother but he had donated it to her when she had moved, clearly knowing she would need it. Any other option she took would get her fired and that was something which simply couldn't happen.

Danni breathed out noisily, pushing herself off the wall when the elevator came to a halt with a loud ping, she adjusted her bag and stepped through the doors when they silently slid open. The entrance was still crowded so it took a moment to work her way through the crowd. She lifted a hand in acknowledgement to the guards and stepped out into the sunshine, heading over to her car and unlocking it, climbing in and closing the door behind her. She sat there for a moment before she threw her bag into its usual place on the passenger seat and stuck the key into the ignition though she didn't bother turning it on yet. Instead she merely leaned back in her chair and frowned out of the window screen, watching people leave and enter the building in front of her, while wondering where exactly she should go now.

The obvious answer to the question, would be for Danni to drive back to her home there but the thought of heading back there and staring at four walls until she picked up her daughter, didn't fill her with excitement. She had three long hours to kill and she had been banned from her office for the rest of the day. All the various chores which could have kept her occupied over the time had already been done the day before when she had arrived back from Meka and Amy’s house. There was literally nothing she needed to do there.

Danni had no idea how people could enjoy themselves when they had nothing to do. She would have given anything at that one moment in time to have a case she could focus her attention on. She would have taken anything going, even if it was a cold case which everyone else had given up on. The only problem with that was the fact that she wasn't allowed back in the building and all the cold cases were stored in the basement. She could have risked going in but the likelihood would be that someone would spot her and report her presence to the Captain and the last thing Danni needed at that one moment in time was another encounter with the Captain. She would rather take her chances with boredom.

Shaking her head, Danni reached forward and turned the key in the ignition, driving out of the car park with a wave for Jimmy who merely waved her through with a nod of his head.

She turned in the opposite direction to her home and drove for twenty minutes before she found herself pulling up outside a medium sized coffee shop. Danni killed the engine and climbed out, leaning back in and grabbing her bag before she closed the door and locked it out of habit. Her gaze skimming the shop in front of her before she crossed the road, lifting her hand to thank the driver who slowed down to let her cross. She and Grace had come here several times before and the experience had always been pleasant. The fact that it was owned by Meka’s wife Amy was part of the reason for that comfort but the other part was down to the great milkshakes and cakes that Amy always provided them when they went. It was the one place she felt as though she could just relax.

She pulled the door open, holding it open for two older women who were leaving the shop before she entered, letting the door close behind her and allowing the soft music and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baking hit her, she wrinkled her nose when her stomach rumbled reminding her with a vengeance that she had forgotten breakfast that morning. She lingered in the doorway, her eyes flickering over each face, memorising them out of habit before she heard the noise of the bell behind her indicating that someone else wanted to come in, she shot them an apologetic look over her shoulder and moved towards the counter, her eyes scanning the staff. She could see Rachel and Bruce who had both worked there as long as she could remember but there was no sign of Amy. She was about to ask where the other woman was when the woman in question suddenly appeared from behind the counter, holding a large, unopened bag of coffee beans in her hands which she dumped on the counter, dark eyes coming up and meeting Danni’s. She saw a brief flash of surprise before it was replaced by a warm, friendly smile which told her that Amy was happy to see her.

“Danni-girl!” She said, dumping the bag on the surface and moving swiftly around the counter, catching Danni into a tight hug, before she gently pushed Danni away, resting her hands on Danni’s shoulders and looking down at her, scanning her face. Danni never minded hugging Amy so much since she was only four inches taller than Danni was. She raised a questioning eyebrow when Amy shook her head and spoke. “You look like you’re having a really shit day” She announced bluntly

“Is it that obvious then?” She asked with a huff of amusement.

“Luckily for you no, you just look thoughtful, you know your default expression but I've spent the last six months learning how to read your face and beneath that look, you don't look happy.” Amy said, taking one hand away from Danni’s shoulder and waving it in the direction of her face. “You look like you could use a large mocha and an extra-large slice of chocolate cake” she commented, lightly pushing Danni to a table near the window. “I'll grab these and join you over there, I'm due a break and the others can handle the rush for a while.” She said.

“Okay then” She answered, turning and walking away from her friend, grabbing the table in question and giving the couple who had been heading towards it’s an apologetic smile as she dropped her bag in one of the squishy chairs, taking the other one for herself. She reached into her bag, searching through it for a moment before her fingers brushed her mobile, smiling she fished it out and looked down at the screen to see she had two texts. She glanced at them, her eyebrow rising when she saw one from her older sister checking in with her. She had just written out a long response to it and sent it when a large mug of mocha was placed in front of her on the table.

“There you go, one large mocha just like the doctor ordered” Amy announced brightly, taking her seat and placing her own mug of coffee on the table just as Rachel arrived with two plates of chocolate cake. “Thanks Rachel” Amy said smiling up at her employee “I'll be here if you need me but only if there’s a massive emergency” She stated. Isa nodded at her.

“You got it” She responded before she turned and headed back to the counter to help Bruce with the growing line. Amy smiled before she turned and focused her attention on Danni.

“It’s a good thing you’ve come now, I only got in about an hour ago here, and there was some problem at Billy’s school. Apparently is form tutor had called in sick so they asked for the kids to be delivered an hour later than normal so they could attempt to locate a supply teacher. You'd think that they would have some sort of plan in place for this sort of situation, someone in the wings to step in. Needless to say there were a lot of pissed off working parents dropping their kids off.”

“I can imagine” Danni replied before she leaned back in her seat, shooting Amy a knowing look. “Why do I get the impression that you were right in the centre of those pissed off parents, stirring it up? I know you” She stated with a shake of her head.

“Of course I was” Amy answered with a shrug at her, her eyes twinkling mischievously in the overhead light. “I am a member of the PTA after all, I'm pretty sure it’s my job to mess things up. However the good news for you is that I am all yours now, so feel free to bitch and moan about whatever it is which is pissing you off so much my friend, and do me a favour and don't try and make out you're not pissed because we both know you are.” She remarked, using the spoon she was holding as a pointer.

Danni laughed, shaking her head at her friend

“Oh don't worry I'm not going to bother trying to deny that” Danni answered, leaning forward in her chair and picked up her mug, blowing on the hot liquid.

“Good, that’s going to save us a lot of time then, so tell me, why do you look like you're ready to kick some ass? Has something happened? There’s nothing wrong with Grace is there?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Grace, she’s fine.” Danni answered “I saw her this morning when I took her to school from Duncan’s. While it’s fresh in my mind, let me tell you the latest about what my ex-husband has decided to do. He’s gone and brought her a rabbit which Gracie has decided to name Mr Hoppy. A rabbit which according to my daughter, my dear sweet husband, has already told her that Mr Hoppy could live with her at my house.” Danni said flatly, catching the look on Amy’s face at her announcement.

“Duncan got Grace a real live rabbit?” Amy repeated, sipping at her own drink thoughtfully. “Didn't we spend all of Saturday morning searching through the shops for the perfect large pink toy bunny because you didn't have enough room at your house for her to have a real rabbit? I'm pretty sure that’s what you said to me” She commented with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s right” Danni replied shortly, taking a sip of her own drink.

“Right” Amy said, drawing the word out as though she was taking the time to consider what Danni was saying before she continued speaking. “Well I can definitely see why that would piss you off but it’s hardly surprising considering that it’s Duncan we're talking about. It’s not the first time he’s done something like this, but there’s something else isn't there?” She questioned. “Because that look on your face isn't your usual one for ‘my ex-husband is an idiot who has pissed me off look.” It’s your ‘I’m a second away from hitting the next person who annoys me’ look.”

Danni leaned back in her chair, looking around her to see whether anyone was listening into their conversation, when she was sure they weren't she spoke. Lowering her voice so that Amy had to lean forward to hear her properly.

“Meka and I have been taken off of the McGarrett murder case.” She stated blunted with a shrug. She picked up her fork and stabbed it into the cake, tearing off a chunk of it and placing it in her mouth, giving Amy time to digest her news. She moaned happily at the taste. “Now this is good.” She said as soon as she had swallowed her first mouthful, eagerly tearing off another chunk.

“Thanks I made it fresh today” Amy said, sounding distracted before she spoke, using her own fork as a pointer as she looked at Danni. “Call me stupid, but I don't understand what you mean. When you say that you and Meka have been taken off of the case are you actually saying that the case isn't yours anymore or is it some sort of language that only cops understand and it actually means something completely different? I mean why would they take you off of it, you had solved the case hadn't you? Meka said that you were literally a day away from closing the case for good, so why the hell would you be taken off and someone new brought in to deal with it? Isn't that just a waste of time and police resources?”

“Well apparently being a day away from closing the case was close enough to satisfy McGarrett’s son” Danni remarked, tapping her fingertips against the side of her mug before she took another sip.

“McGarrett’s son?” Amy repeated.

“Yep” Danni said with a nod. “The same son who is friendly enough with the Governor of Hawaii to have her personal mobile number on his phone. The same son who the Governor has decided to hand a personal task force to, giving him a licence to clean up the street of Hawaii and do you know what his first action as leader of his task force was? It was to take mine and Meka’s case as his own because he seems to believe that he can do a much better job than either me or Meka can do. The man is a Navy SEAL, he has absolutely no experience in police work but that small fact clearly doesn’t bother him.”

Amy stared at her for a moment before she let out a long whistle, her eyes widening in surprise.

“This guy has really gotten under your skin hasn't he?” She remarked in surprised before she shook her head and continued speaking. “I'm surprised you didn't punch him Danni because if it had been me in your situation then I most definitely would have.”

“Don't get me wrong, the thought has crossed my mind a number of times over the past hour or so,” Danni admitted with a shrug. “But I can't afford to do anything which might get me into trouble. I have Gracie to think of after all. What if I had punched him and he got me fired or suspended for it? What would the pair of us do then? I would probably have to sell our house for money and then either rent a place or have to go and live with Duncan? I can't do that to Grace. We're finally getting our house to resemble a home and it’s a home which my daughter loves. It would literally kill Grace to have to leave it now. What she needs is stability in her life considering the massive change she’s had to adjust to over the past six months and I need a job to give that to her. If it means biting my tongue and keeping quiet on what I’m think then I'll do it.”

“Very true,” Amy said before she changed the subject. “So what exactly brings you here to my humble place of work?” She asked her curiously. “Not that I don't want you here because obviously I do. I just would have thought that you and Meka would have been given a brand new case to sink your teeth into it now that you’ve lost the McGarrett case.”

“You'd think so but no” Danni replied with a shrug, dropping her fork onto her plate and picking up her mug again. “The Captain seems to believe that I am solely responsible for McGarrett taking up the position with the task force so he sent me away for the rest of the day to reflect on my actions and my attitude. I’m allowed back to my desk tomorrow morning though when apparently I’ll be allowed to do my job again.”

“You're joking me right?” Amy asked, snorting when Danni shook his head. “That Captain of yours is a grade A dick” She stated bluntly, her eyes flashing with anger on Danni’s behalf. “Meka told me that the other Detective in the department had been treating you like shit. I don't know why you put up with them Danni, you should just make a complaint against them for the way they treat you. Anything would be better than just sitting back and letting them do this to you.”

“You want me to make a complaint against the whole of my department?” Danni repeated, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “That would go down well with them all. Look it’s nothing that I can’t handle Amy. I find that boys don't like it when a woman is better than they are at their jobs. That, added to the fact that I’m a Ha’ole from the mainland who has dared to move out and live here on the island doesn't endear them to me either. They'll eventually get bored and find some new target to focus their attention on. It’s a shame really because if they actually spent half the time which they focused on me, on their work then their closing rates would shoot through the roof.” She commented dryly, taking a long sip of her drink.

“So, if you aren't allowed to head back to the office today then what exactly are you planning to do now?” Amy asked her.

“I have no idea” Danni replied with a shrug. “I guess I’ll finish off this coffee and this cake and then head home or something. Gracie is coming back home tonight so we're planning a girlie night in together, just the two of us. I need to see what junk food we actually have in the house, after that we'll watch a Disney movie and gossip about life and what she did with Duncan over the weekend. The main thing is that I have her with me.”

“Hopefully she at least had a good time with him” Amy remarked.

“It looked like she did which is the main thing, Duncan might have some faults but at least being a bad father isn't one of them.” Danni said with a sigh. She took another sip of her mocha, making another sound of satisfaction at the back of her throat. “You know it’s no surprise that this place is always packed out with people” She remarked. “It’s definitely the best coffee I've had on the island, it might even be better than what I had in New Jersey.”

“Well that might there be the biggest compliment I've ever received” Amy commented with a laugh. “Though I'm hurt that you've been to other coffee shops since you've been there in Hawaii. I still forgive you since you said that I'm the best. Only the best for my makamaka after all” She said with a grin at her.

“Seriously makamaka? What does that even mean in English? It sounds like something which would have been used in a children’s show.” Danni remarked with a raised eyebrow. “You and Meka are exactly the same you know that? Is it your way of trying to make me learn your language?” She said suspiciously, a smile softening her words.

“One of them, you're just pissed because it’s actually working, don't think I didn't notice the Hawaiian dictionary that was in your bookcase the last time I visited and don't even try and blame it on Grace. I know it’s yours” Amy responded triumphantly. Danni rolled her eyes.

“You'll never prove it” Danni said with a laugh before she changed the subject. “That reminds me, are we still on for the beach this weekend followed by a BBQ at yours because I mentioned it to Gracie today and she was pretty excited about seeing you all. Apparently your husband has promised to help her and Billy build the biggest and best sandcastle which the state of Hawaii has ever seen before in its history.” She remarked as she took another bite of her cake, giving Amy a questioning look.

“So I've been told by both my son and my husband” Ay said with a shake of her head. “All the plans are sorted though, all you need to do is get to our house my ten in the morning. You can leave the stuff you don't need right away there and then we can get in the jeep and head over to North Shore for some beach fun. We're bringing a large picnic basket with is since we'll probably still be out there for lunch so you’re welcome to share ours or to bring your own, I know how fussy Grace is when it comes to certainly types of food. I’m thinking that we stay on the beach until about one and then we can head over and get an ice shave because Billy and Grace love them. Once we've done all that then it’s back to ours. Meka will get the grill on and the others will start arriving. I was going to suggest that you and Grace sleep over. That way, once Grace is tucked up in bed you can let you hair down and have some fun, fun which includes wine. I mean you do remember what that is right Danni girl? You know fun with someone who is an adult I mean” She said innocently, grinning when Danni gave her the finger in response.

“I'm well aware of what fun with other adults is” Danni retorted before she gave a slight smile, a thoughtful look on her face. “Let me get back to you later on in the week about whether we’ll sleep over or not. Grace prefers her own bed after a tiring day out. I'll pack some clothes and stuff and stick them in the trunk of the car just in case we do decide to take you up on your offer.” She stated.

“I’ll make the spare room up for you” Amy responded, before she leaned back in her chair pinning Danni with a thoughtful look. “You know Danni, Meka is inviting quite a lot of his friends to this month’s BBQ, friends who you haven't actually had the chance to meet yet. It would do you some good to meet some of them. You never know, you might like them and not everyone who you meet has to be either a cop or a criminal. There was plenty of nice people out there who have simple normal jobs like me. Maybe you'll meet a guy you like, I mean it’s time you got back into the saddle Danni, Duncan was a dickhead for what he did to you, but you can't live your life expecting every single man you meet to be the same as him. Just promise me that if you do meet someone you like you'll give him a chance instead of closing yourself down emotionally and becoming defensive with him.”

Danni breathed out slowly, biting down on the sarcastic retort trying to escape. She knew that Amy was only trying to help her in her own way. She met Amy’s concerned eyes head on.

“Amy, we've spoken about this before” She said softly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know, I know” Amy said with a sigh, holding her hand up in a stop sign. “I'm not saying that you should marry the next man who asks you out on a date or anything. He'd have to be well vetted by all of us before we'd ever let it get that far but it would be good for you if you at least said yes to one date before you make the decision that you aren’t interested. You're an attractive, hot woman Danni, maybe you should allow yourself to live a little when Grace is with her father. You're still young and you're more than just a mum and a cop. You deserve to have as much happiness and fun as the next person.”

“I'll think about it okay” She said before she swiftly changed the subject to Amy’s son Billy, knowing it would sidetrack the other woman before she could carry on with her lecture. Luckily for her it worked as Amy began telling her about Billy’s talent when it came to painting.

Twenty minutes later, Danni drained the last of her drink, placing it next to her empty plate on the table with a sigh.

“I think it’s probably time for me to head out” She told Amy, resting he hands on the surface of the table and pushing herself to her feet, leaning down and picking up her bag, shouldering it before she continued speaking. “I've got to get home and see what food I actually have in the cupboards for later on, I might have to make a pit stop at the shop on my way to get Grace at this rate.”

Amy nodded, standing up and moved round the table, pulling Danni in for a quick hug.

“Give me a call tonight once Grace is in bed okay?” She commanded, waiting until Danni nodded against her shoulder before she let go.

“I will do” She promised. “Thanks for the cake and the coffee and for listening to me moan about my job yet again, I really appreciate it” She said, moving towards the door of the shop aware of Amy following her towards it.

“I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m here for Danni girl” Amy replied with a warm shrug. “God knows you do the same for me enough time. Be careful on your way home okay? The sky looks like it’s about to open. Hopefully you’re enough of a mainlander that you still carry your umbrella around with you in your back for situations like this” She said, waving a hand towards the suddenly heavy looking sky.

“Of course” Danni said mildly, giving Amy one last smile “See you later” she said, before she hurried out of the ship and across the street to where she had parked her car She had just climbed in, shutting the door behind her when the heavens open and rain began pounding against the outside of the car. She sat there for a moment, listening to the raindrops before she made a huff of amusement at the back of her throat. “This place is something else” She murmured to herself as she turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the kerb, making sure to pay extra attention on the slick roads.

She pulled into her driveway and killed the engine, collecting her things and making sure she had her umbrella with her. She pushed the door open and stepped out, opening the umbrella instantly and placed it above her head before she closed the door and locked the car up.

Danni made her way up her garden path, hunting through her bag for her house keys, her eyes flickered up, widening with surprise when she saw Steve McGarrett leaning against the side of her porch frame. His clothes were wet so he must have just arrived and got caught in the red storm.

“Jesus, you have me don’t you God? This is punishment for something I did in a past life isn’t it?”

Setting her shoulders, house keys in hand, Danni continued to make her way to her front door keeping her eyes on the still man in front of her. She saw the exact moment he became aware of her, his eyes meeting hers.

What the hell was the man doing at her house of all place? How did he even get her address? It couldn't have been from the other Detectives because none of them knew where she lived. The only person who did was Meka and there would be no way that he would give that out to anyone, especially if the person asking was Steve McGarrett.

There was no doubt in her mind that he was standing there, waiting for her. The fact that he slowly stood up straight at the sight of her was enough to tell her that. For a moment she considered the possibility of arresting him for stalking her but she quickly dismissed the idea as wishful thinking. Even if she made the arrest there would be no court who would have convicted him considering the fact they had only met an hour or so ago.

“You again” she called out as soon as she was in hearing range of him. “What are you doing here? Surely you can’t want anything more from me.”

“You know I didn’t even know that they sold umbrellas here in Hawaii” He answered, ignoring her question as though she hadn’t spoken. Danni shook her head, stepping up beside him and opened her front door, closing the umbrella and leaving it to dry in her porch area before she stepped into her warm house. She twisted, resting her forearm against the door frame, her other hand on the door blocking McGarrett from entering her house behind her.

“As far as I know they don’t” She answered him. “But as you’ve been told, I’m not a native of the island. I’m from the mainland and the mainland tends to has seasons so an umbrella is essential.” She told him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Now, tell me why you’re here Commander”

“Is this how you tend to greet everyone who comes to pay you a visit?” He asked, his eyebrow rising as though he was generally curious to hear her answer. She frowned slightly as he took a step towards her, so he was within her personal space.

“I’m normally the perfect hostess to people who are invited to my home. Funny thing is that I don't remember extending that invitation to you.” She responded, tilting her head to one side. “I'm not going to ask you again. Tell me what you want or leave. You already have all the files which I made up. The barcodes which CSU use to log evidence are all in there as well. You just need to call them and quote the reference to them though obviously you already knew that. So what is it?” She asked.

“I spoke to your Captain after you left the office” McGarrett remarked, leaning his arm against the wall to the side of the door. “And he told me that you had made a request for a wiretap on a man called Fred Doran this morning. I asked Hanamoa about it but he didn’t seem to know anything about it. He didn’t tell me much but he did reveal that it would have been you who would have made the request because he had been working on something else. There must have been something about this man which caught your attention enough to ring through the request in the first place and I want to know what it is because that one bit of information is lacking from your perfectly made up files” He commented, his hazel eyes boring into hers with a look that made it clear to her that he was determined to get his answers and would be going nowhere until he had them.

Danni searched his eyes, reading the resolve before she looked away with a sigh, absently biting down on her lower lip as she considered her options.

The last thing which she needed or wanted at this one moment in time was to have a conversation like this on her doorstep where her next door neighbours could hear. She had tried to hide the fact that she was a police detective from her neighbours, knowing within a second of meeting them that they would be the kind of people who would knock on her doors at all hours of the day expecting her to revalidating their parking tickets or to give her helpful tips which wouldn’t be helpful at all. Danni always tried to leave her job and the cases she was working on back at the office for her daughter’s sake. When she was with Grace she wanted to be able to give her all the attention which the small girl deserved.

She looked back at him, unsurprised to see him looking at her.

“You better come in then” She said with a sigh of defeat, opening the door as she stepped back away from the door so he could move pass her into the hallway. She peered out the door, scanning the empty driveway and street before she pulled the door closed shut. She turned, surprised to see that Steve had slipped off his muddy boots, leaving them on her welcome mat and was clearly waiting for her to speak before he moved. She looked away, slipping her heels off and moved past him, waving her hand at him. “Follow me” She stated, leading him down the hallway and into the first room at the right.

She moved across the room towards her cream leather sofa and lowered herself down onto it, watching as McGarrett moved around the room, his eyes flickering over everything taking it in. He stepped towards the mantel piece and picked up one of the picture frames littered on it, looking down at them. She knew which one he was looking at. It was a recent one of her and Grace taken at the last Hanamoa BBQ, grinning at the camera as they hugged together looking happy and relaxed. It was one of Danni’s favourite pictures of her daughter. Any time she found herself longing for New Jersey she would look at that picture, see her daughter’s happy suntanned face and know that she had made the right decision even though she would never admit it out loud.

“I see you’ve got a daughter” McGarrett commented, breaking the silence between them as he turned to look at her with a questioning look on his face. Danni remained silent for a moment, biting down on the sarcastic comments which was desperate to escape, instead she nodded.

“Yes I do, what has that got to do with anything?” She asked, McGarrett waiting as though he was expecting her to say something else but she remained silent, simply watching him. He frowned slightly before he spoke.

“You’re very sensitive I see” He commented dryly, placing the picture frame back into the same place as it had been. “She looked like you minus her colouring, your daughter is a very pretty girl” He commented, Danni blinked, tilting her head to the side as she tried to figure him out.

“Thank you.” She said finally when the silence between them threatening to go on.

“You’re welcome” He replied, moving towards her as he reached into the file which he had been holding in his hand. He stopped in front of her and held up the picture of Fred Doran to her, close enough that she could see the hatred in the young man’s arrogant face. “Tell me what you know about him?” McGarrett demanded.

Danni sighed, looking away from Doran’s picture, lifting her eyes to his face as she began to speak, her tone coming across calm and professional.

“Fred Doran is your typical low life scum bag. The type you can find anywhere in the world. He’s a suspected arms dealer. According to his file which I pulled out of storage, he served two years at Maui correctional when he was twenty four for weapon possession. There’s some evidence gathered on him which linked him to the murder of an American businessman who came to Hawaii last year on a trip for his work but the case fell apart though because HPD were never able to find the gun and the whole case hinged on it.”

“What exactly has Fred Doran got to do with my dad’s murder though?” McGarrett asked her with a frown.

“Perhaps he has nothing to do with it or perhaps he has everything to do with it, I’m not sure yet” She replied, leaning forward and resting her forearms on her thighs as she continued speaking. “You see the first thing I did was to run a ballistic comparison on the bullet which CSU retrieved from your father’s house. I wanted to see whether anything came up and what came up was the unsolved Doran investigation. What I think happened was that when Hesse landed on this island, the first thing he did was to hook up with Doran and get a weapon from him. I’m sure if you dug deep enough you would find some sort of connection between the two of them, either they know each other personally or they both know some third party who placed them in contact with each other. It doesn't matter how though, what matters is the fact that Hesse went to him and Doran gave him what he needed. It makes sense, why bring a gun with you when you can simply get a gun on the island when you get here. A gun which couldn't be linked back to him. It’s what I would have done if I had been Hesse. Hesse made damn sure that we found that gun, he left it on the table in front of your Dad. He wanted the connection to be made, I just don't know why.”

“It’s what Hesse does” McGarrett answered. “He would have been hoping that your investigation would have shifted away from him to Doran long enough that he could make his escape.” McGarrett looked around the room again, eyes lingering on the artwork on the wall as he spoke. “So you think this Doran character would know where Hesse is hiding.” He asked, looking back at her as Danni pushed herself back to her feet.

“In my opinion, if there is anyone on the island who know where Hesse is currently hiding then it’s going to be Doran.”

“Okay then” McGarrett said, slipping the photo back into the file. “Let’s go and see him then” He nodded, turning and making his way across her living room to the door leading back to the hallway.

“I’m sorry what?” Danni demanded, moving after him and following him into the hallway. “Are you actually crazy?” She asked him when he stopped walking and turned to face her. “You just took this case away from me and my partner McGarrett and now you want me to go with you to Doran’s address to speak to him with you? No offence Commander but why exactly would I do that? You made it clear to me earlier that you had everything well in hand.”

McGarrett watched her for a moment before he spoke,

“The Captain told me that you transferred in six months ago from New Jersey HD which means that you see things that go on in a different way to the other Detectives who have spent their lives here. You have fresh eyes and fresh ideas and-”

“Stop” Danni said, holding her hand up at him. “Let me just stop you there, I don’t know what you’re doing but trust me when I say I don’t need a psyche analysis from you about what I have and don't have. I-” Her eyes narrowed when he cut across her, taking a step towards her, a gleam in her eyes which told her that he would not be backing down from this.

“You want a psych analysis from me Detective? Then how about this. You moved jobs from New Jersey PD where according to your records were the lead Homicide Detective of a team of eight with over eighty solves cases underneath you belt. That tells me that not only are you damn good at your job but you’ve got a passion for it which most people are lacking. You were respected there because apparently your old Captain was gutted to lose you. Your house here is small and I’m willing to bet you gave up everything to buy this house for your daughter because she lives with you and you wanted her to feel like this was home. The fact that your house had framed photos of people who I'm guessing are your family and friends from Jersey, tells me that you're a family person so moving away from them all would have been the last thing you wanted to do, but something made you do it. Most likely for your daughter. You don't have a wedding or engagement ring which means that you're divorced. Your ex probably moved here at the same time and got you both here by threatening you. Something which worked because here you are. You took a demotion in a department where you're the only female detective so you're constantly pushing yourself to show them all that you belong in the boy’s club. A club which makes it clear to you on a daily basis that not only do they not want you but that they will never want you regardless of what you do. How exactly am I doing so far in my analysis?” He demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Danni remained silent, watching him as she swallowed hard and look away from him. He spoke again, his voice just as firm though it lacked the harshness from before.

“I need those skills Williams” He said simply.

“You need them” She repeated, resisting the urge to cross her arms defensively over her stomach as she tried to ignore the pain his harsh analysis had caused her. She swallowed again, standing straighter. “You know what” She said. “It’s people like you McGarrett who make my life impossible because you always think you know best and are right when you aren’t. You’ve taken over this investigation when you know nothing about police works.

“But you do” McGarrett countered. “You were a lead Detective, people don’t become the leader of a team without having the needed skills and I need your skills.” He told her before he shrugged. “Besides Detective, you don’t have a choice in the matter. The Governor had given my jurisdiction and I’ve already made you my partner. Don’t worry Williams, we’re going to get along great.” He remarked, nodding at her before he strolled to the front door, slipping his boots back on and leaving the house, leaving Danni staring after him with her mouth open.

“Son of a-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read!


	5. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m a mother of a seven year old, my phone is never turned off”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this up.
> 
> The chapter as a whole focuses a lot on Danni's relationship with a few key people. I think it's interesting in exploring her fully. She is a woman who has a life outside 50 and a life before Steve and it's not like those people disappear just because Steve is now there in her life. 
> 
> You might notice that the nickname Danno is missing from this scene but have no fear, it does appear later on!
> 
> Anyway please enjoy!

_____________________________________________  
23rd September 2010  
Danni Williams and Grace Taylor’s home  
17 Ahe Alanui  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
_____________________________________________

Danni stared silently at the doorway, her mouth partly open as she tried to wrap her head around the news that McGarrett had just dropped on her. It seemed to be her thing of the day so far, struck dumb with shock, left staring at doorways which Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett had strolled out of after making some sort of declaration which shifted her carefully planned life.

She swallowed reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose. She was pissed off that much was for definite but the feeling was being drowned out by sheer disbelief. A feeling she was beginning to realise would probably become a common one for her to experience if she really was McGarrett’s new partner.

Not only had McGarrett taken his father’s case from her and Meka without any warning but now he had taken her from her job at HPD and from Meka as well, instead deciding without knowing anything about her, that she was the one person best suited to be on his task force and to be his partner as well. She was grateful to be away from HPD, if that part of it was true than it was a godsend to her but she had been happy with Meka, they understood each other and had finally found a way to merge their two working styles together only for this to happen. She knew nothing about McGarrett’s working methods or how he viewed things. It could be a disaster that didn't work and then she would be sent back to HPD with her tail between the legs and a work environment which would double in hostility towards her.

Danni lowered her hand, shaking her head slowly as she looked around the hallway as though the painted walls would have all the answers which her mind was demanding. The first thing she needed to see was whether this was all legit. She had the feeling that McGarrett wasn't a liar but at the same time she couldn't just do this on his say so. She had to hear with her own ears that what he said was correct.

She turned, moving down the hallway and back into the living room, her gaze focusing on her bag which was still on the sofa. She opened it, glancing inside and moving things around until she found her cell phone, pulling it out she swiped her thumb over it, looking into the contact section and selecting the one she wanted. She pressed the connect button and brought the phone to her ear, one arm wrapping around her waist while she waited impatiently for her call to be answered. It rang three times before it was picked up.

“Hookano”

“Captain, it’s-”

“Williams! It’s about time you called in, I’ve been waiting for you” Captain Hookano barked down the phone at her, interrupting her before she could get more than a few words out. She brought the phone away from her ear, glaring at it, the Captain’s words coming across as clearly as though she had him on loud speaker “I'm guessing since you're calling me, the Commander has found you and told you his news?” He demanded.

“Yeah Commander McGarrett found me, he was standing outside my door when I got home. How did he get my address in the first place?” She asked, her eyes narrowing as she continued. “He told me that-”

“That he has made you his partner on his task force” Hookano finished cutting across her again, Danni tightened her grip on the cell, frustration washing over her at the interruption. She pushed it down, focusing on his words instead. “Well it’s true if that’s why you're ringing. After you left the pen he began asking me questions about you. He wanted to know what you were like as a Detective? He wanted to know if what Hanamoa had said was true and that you were the one who made the files up and found most of the leads? I answered his questions and when he was satisfied he told me that you were to be transferred over to him on the task force because he was making you his partner.”

“And so that’s it?” She asked “The Commander decided that he wanted me as his partner and so I’m now his partner? No offence Captain but surely I get a say in this? I am the one directly affected by it all after all.”

“Actually you don't get a say in it Williams, none of us gets a say in it” Hookano corrected. Danni could almost picture the way the imposing man would be pacing the space in front of his desk. “It might shock you but I actually said no to him when he made his demand. I’ll be the first to admit that you and I might not see things eye to eye on occasions and some of the other Detective might be on a mission to make your life hell, but that doesn't stop you being a damn fine Detective. The rate of closure has risen since you joined the team and you and Hanamoa was streaks ahead of other. Stats don't lie. I don't particularly want to lose a Detective who is good at their job, especially not to some navy SEAL who thinks that he is some kind of force to be reckoned with.” He told her.

“But” Danni prompted after a moment of silence, torn between surprise that the Captain had recognised and was actually verbally acknowledging that she was good at her job and a growing sense of resignation and horror at what she knew was coming next.

“But McGarrett has jurisdiction over any decision which he chooses to make, even if he didn't, he still has the trump card Williams and he clearly has no problem in using that trump card to get what he wants.” The Captain remarked, a bitter tone coming to his voice. Danni gripped the handset tighter in her grip, waiting for the Captain to continue speaking to her. “When I refused his request and told him that nothing would change my mind on the matter, he rang the Governor directly, putting her on loud speaker, and told her that he wanted you as his partner and that he would accept no one else. If it wasn't you then the deal they had was off and he would return to the navy. Whatever you did Williams certainly made a lasting impression on him.”

“McGarrett said that?” Danni questioned in disbelief, turning to look at the empty doorway in surprise. She couldn't picture him making that demand and yet it had clearly happened.

“The man was adamant on the subject” Hookano stated “The Governor agreed to his condition of you as his partner instantly. She had her assistant produce the paperwork to transfer you over from HPD to the new taskforce and faxed it over to me while McGarrett was still in the room. The Commander stood over me, watching me sign the paperwork before watching me fax them back over to the Governor, he then told me that you or someone else would be back here later to pack up and take your belonging away. That was all he said before he took the files and left.”

Danni breathed out, reaching up and gripping the back of her neck with her hand, pressing down on the muscle, trying to ease the tension in it.

“So that’s it then?” She asked, her voice coming out weakly.

“You're damn right that’s it Detective” Hookano snapped back. “There’s nothing which I can do when the Governor makes a demand. McGarrett demanded you and Governor Jameson demanded that I made it happen, that’s the end of the story Williams, and it’s the way things work here in Hawaii. You might as well get used to it.”

Danni bit down on her lower lip.

“And what about Meka? He’s my partner, has anyone even told him about what happened?” She asked quietly.

“Let me stop you there Williams, Meka isn't your partner anymore. It’s McGarrett who has that spot now. As of thirty minutes ago, you are officially a member of his task force. I’ll break the new to Hanamoa, he’s competent enough to go it alone for a while, since we’re going to be short staffed now. Keep in contact” He stated before Danni heard a click followed by a dial tone in her ear.

She lowered her phone from her ear, ending the call on her end. There was no way around it as far as she could tell, she was really Steve McGarrett’s partner, a fully-fledged member of his task force which meant that McGarrett was now her boss as well. She didn't understand why he had insisted on her as his partner to the point that he had gone to the Governor to make sure it happened. They didn't know each other and Danni highly doubted that she had made a good impression on him back at his father’s house or at the station. Did he see something in her or was it as simple as he had seen her record and decided that it was good enough to satisfy him and his needs, why waste the time searching for someone else when she was there.

Danni glanced at the picture which McGarrett had taken down from the mantel piece, allowing the sight of her daughter’s happy face to calm her. There was nothing which she could do about the situation she was in now, all she could do was focus on the job at hand and help McGarrett bring his father’s killer to justice. Everything else can wait until that goal had been accomplished.

Her mind made up, she moved, picking up her bag from the sofa as she mentally ran through a checklist in her mind to make sure that she had everything which she needed before she moved towards the bedroom, grabbing a pair of nude flat shoes from her wardrobe. As much as Danni tried to avoid wearing flat shoes as a general rule, due to her lack of height, she had the feeling that working with McGarrett was going to be anything but peaceful on her. It was going to probably going to involve a lot of action and action in her experience often included running which meant that Danni would need to keep a pair of shoes handy which she could run in.

She stopped by the front door, pulling her heels back on, setting the alarm again before she left the house, closing the door behind her. The rain had eased off leaving a bright blue sky in its place, if it wasn't for the wet ground and grass then Danni would have sworn that she had imagined the whole rain storm in the first place. She glanced down at her watch, frowning when she saw that it was already past one. She moved down the path, stopping for a moment when she saw McGarrett. He was leaning against the driver side of her car, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes scanned the surrounding area, scoping out everything as though he was expecting an attack of some kind.

She shook her head, feeling a tinge of pity for him before she resumed heading towards him.

“You know, you're going to have to move out of the way if you want us to go anywhere?” She called out to him, attracting his attention. She watched as he lazily stood straight, his eyes moving around them one last time before they focused on her, staying on her.

“Oh?” He replied. “And how do you make that out exactly?” He asked her, squinting at her in the bright sunlight.

“Well it’s a fairly simple explanation Commander” She answered, making her way down the garden path towards him. “I like to think that I'm a fairly good driver but I'm not that good that I've learnt how to drive without actually being behind the wheel of the car and to do that I need to be in the driver’s seat, the same seat which you're currently blocking.” She explained, coming to a stop in front of him, she tilted her head back trying to ignore the difference in height between the two of them. “I’m sure in the navy they teach you to do it and everything but it’s not a skill which an everyday citizen needs to master so you need to move.” She stated raising an eyebrow at when McGarrett smirked at her, holding his hand out towards her, the palm facing upwards towards the sky. She glanced down at it before she looked back towards his face. “What is it?” she asked questioningly. “Are you asking me to high five you or something because if that’s the case then you should know that I only give high fives when they’re deserved or at the end of a case.” She commented lightly.

There was no mistaking the sudden gleam of amusement which came to his eyes though she noted that his voice remained blank of emotions.

“That’s funny” He remarked dryly, his hand curling into a fist as he dropped it. “Keys, Williams.” He demanded, a slight frown furrowing his brow when she snorted at his comment.

“To what exactly?” She countered. “To my car? To my house? Or do you mean keys to the state of Hawaii? Because if it’s the first two option then the answer is no. I’m not in the habit of giving my car and house keys to someone who I've only known for about an hour or so and if you want the last one then I suggest you get back on your cell and ring through to the Governor and see if she can hook you up with it. I’m assuming that if you have that key then you get a never ending supply of shaved ice and pineapple. Considering how she seems to be bending backwards for you, you might get lucky and be able to get it” She remarked, tilting her head to the side.

For a moment he remained silent, his eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her, his gaze intent as though he was trying to see under her defences to what lay beneath. She forced herself to stare back, keeping her own face fixed in a thoughtful look.

“I want the keys to your car Williams so we can get on with the case and get over to Doran’s trailer. I’m the better driver and can get us there quicker.” He clarified. Danni stared at him for a moment before she laughed at him, the sound disbelieving.

“You want the keys to my car based on the fact that you're the better driver.” She repeated with a shake of her head. “You know I would be delighted to know how you came up with that conclusion that you're a better driver than me considering the fact that you've never seen me behind the wheel or even been in a car with me.”

“It’s a SEAL thing” McGarrett answered with a shrug. “We're taught to look at a person and be able to size them up instantly. You have a daughter so it’s ingrained in you to drive carefully. You probably keep to the speed limit at all time and you won’t take risks even if they are necessary. In fairness you’re probably not as careful when she’s not with you but there’s still going to be that voice in the back of your head warning you to be careful so you don’t leave her motherless. SEALs don't have that voice” He stated.

Danni stared at him, feeling her cheeks flush in annoyance before she spoke, keeping her voice measured and calm. It would do her no good to show exactly how peeved she was by McGarrett’s assessment on her, an assessment which was probably truer than she felt comfortable admitting.

“Regardless of that I'm still driving,” She told him. “My car therefore my rules and that’s just the way it is Commander” She moved forward so she was by his side, twisting so she could put her hand against his chest and pushed at him. She blinked when he allowed himself to be moved back before she looked away and gripped the handle on the door, pulling it open. She was about to get in when his hand gripped her forearm, the hold firm but surprisingly gentle as though he was trying not to hurt her.

“I'm a very good driver Williams” He commented causing her to nod at her.

“I've got no doubt that you are” She responded. “But that doesn't change my decision. I'm well aware that you could probably take my car apart and have it rebuilt in a matter of minutes because that’s one things they probably taught you in navy school, but you're not in navy school anymore McGarrett. This is my car and it’s a car which needs to be treated with love and respect. This car was a gift from my parents when I moved to Hawaii so I wouldn't be reliant on public transport. Until I've decided that you're not a complete psychopath you won't be driving my car. The only person who will be driving my car is me. Now you can sit in the passenger seat or the back seat or even the trunk if you want but you won't be in the driver’s seat yet. So now that we've settled that issue maybe we should go?” Danni smiled at his expression, pulling her arm back from him and climbed quickly into the car, closing the door behind her. She breathed out, rolling her shoulders back as she tried to ease the tension out of them. Giving it up as a lost cause, she turned the key in the ignition, smiling as the healthy sound her car made. For a moment she felt tempted to rev it but she resisted the urge.

Danni tapped her fingertips against the steering wheel, watching from the corner of her eye as the passenger door opened and McGarrett climbed in. She waited until he had finished adjusting the seat and pulled his seatbelt on before she spoke again.

“Where to?” She queried, glancing towards him. “Doran’s place?”

“Yeah according to the file you made up Doran lives near Laiu so it should take us about forty minutes to get here, possibly about fifty with you behind the wheel.” He commented, his mouth curving up into a half smile softening his words. Danni rolled her eyes at the comment remaining silent as she took her cell and her hands free kit from her bag, setting it up quickly. She looked towards McGarrett when he spoke again, a thoughtful note to his voice. “Did you ring your former captain to make sure that what I told you was legit?” He asked.

Danni nodded at him, securing her own seat belt now that she had her phone sorted.

“I did and he told me what you told me. That I was no longer a member of HPD and instead was a member of your new task force and your partner. He also told me that you told him that I would be back there sometimes later to get my stuff.”

“Yep” He replied. “At least now you've confirmed it we can get on with things.” He commented before his eyes narrowed at her in the same thoughtful fashion as before. “Is there anything you need to tell me or request from me?” He queried. Danni couldn't help the slight smile which came to her face as she turned in her chair and reversed her car out of the driveway.

“I have to leave at three every day apart from Wednesdays to pack my daughter up from her school.” Danni told him. “If there’s a change to the day then I’ll try and let you know well in advance but it’s something which I can’t get out of and to be honest with you I don't want to get out of.” She told him firmly, he nodded glancing down at his watch.

“You'd be available to work from home after you've picked her up?” He asked her, Danni nodded.

“Until at least six” She confirmed. McGarrett nodded again before he fell silent, turning his attention to the window and passing scenery instead. Danni watching him from the corner of her eye again as she drove. Whatever he was thinking was clearly concerning him if the frown on his face was any indication to go by.

She assumed it was his father who was plaguing his mind. The whole situation couldn’t have been easy on him. She wouldn’t like being in his shoes. He would have to examine every aspect of his father’s life, looking for another motive other than him. He would see every picture from CSU and have to read every line of the ME report detailing the torture Hesse put John McGarrett through. It would be hell on him regardless of the training that they would have given him. She wondered if he blamed himself for his father’s death. Did he think that he was responsible for it in some way? That if he had been doing another job or choosing some other criminal other than the Hesse brothers to hunt than his father would still be alive and well. Going through his usual daily routine.

A burden like that would crush anyone. It was bad enough that he had heard it happened over the phone and that there had been nothing which he could have done to prevent it, calling HPD and praying that they would reach him in time had been the act of a desperate man.

Danni startled when her phone suddenly went off, distracting her from her thoughts. She reached down, hitting the connect button on her cell, answering the phone without looking at the ID. Everyone in her life was allocated their own separate ringtone and there was only one person who had smooth criminal.

“Hey partner, I was wondering when you would call me.” She remarked, taking her hand off the wheel and adjusting the piece in her ear so she could hear the conversation more clearly.

“Partner? Well not anymore according to the good old Captain,” Meka snapped at her. Danni’s eyebrow rose as she registered the pissed off tone to her friend’s voice. A tone which Danni could only remember a handful of times since they had met when Meka had sounded like that and it had never ended well for anyone who had been involved, especially if they had been the one to piss him off in the first place.

“I’m guessing based on that reaction Captain Hookano has taken you aside and spoken to you as well?” She asked him, tilting her head to the side and smirking when Meka snorted down the phone at her.

“It wasn't so much a conversation as him dragging me into his office and ranting at me for five minutes about everything which has happened and how everything is turning to shit before he finally got round to telling me that my partner of six months has been nabbed by some hotshot Navy SEAL who suddenly seemed to be someone important on the island. Some hotshot Navy SEAL who’s very first act was not only to take the case we've been working our ass off over the past three days on but now my freaking partner as well. This case was important to me Danni, our partnership was important to me.”

“I know it was buddy and it was to me too” She said, her voice softening as she turned on the steering wheel, pulling into a quiet street. “And I know you knew John McGarrett personally and that you wanted to bring his killer to justice but as long as Hesse is made to pay for what he did then it shouldn't matter who takes him down you know?” She commented. Meka was silent for a moment as though he was running through what she had said through his head.

“I guess so but it doesn't mean I have to like it Danni” He said with a sigh. “Captain’s already given me a new case. A homicide down at Waikiki which looks like it’s going to be straightforward enough, he was in a dispute with his brother over the family business their father left them.” He said.

Danni made a knowing sound at the back of her throat.

“You've got a suspect right there” She commented before she sighed. “It’s been quite the day so far huh?” She said, glancing to the side of her to see McGarrett staring at her with an intent expression on her face, she quirked a questioning eyebrow at him before she turned away.

“You know you're beginning to freak me out Danni. I was expecting you to hit the roof over this shit. Maybe go off into one of those epic rants you always hold onto when we're together but right now you're just too quiet and it’s not right hoaloha, not for you anyway. Have you gone into shock or something? Do I need to find out your location from your GPS and call you an EMT so you can be checked out?” He demanded, a tone to his voice which sounded as though it was warring between amusement and concern.

“You are a riot” She remarked dryly with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not in shock and I’m don’t need an EMT either Meka. I thought, according to you, that I was the dramatic one out of the pair of us. I'm beginning to think you should reassess that.”

“That’s more like it” Meka said. “You're beginning to sound a bit more like the Danni I know. I'm guessing from what the Captain was saying McGarrett has already hooked up with you? He got your address from your file.”

“My file?” Danni repeated, “I haven't…” She stopped, shaking her head. She would figure out how McGarrett got her address later on when she had less pressing matters to attend to. “The Commander is with me, he’s in my car and we're driving towards Doran's place and before you make any amused comments I am driving.”

There was a moment’s silence before Meka spoke again.

“The Captain wants to speak to me yet again. Give me a call later on when McGarrett isn't around so we can actually talk properly. Maybe we can meet tonight or tomorrow for a beer. You and Grace could come to ours and have dinner or something. It save you having to cook.”

“Definitely not tonight Meka, Gracie and I have plans together but tomorrow might be okay, I'll check my diary when I get back home later on” Danni responded, glancing towards Steve again before she spoke again. “Good luck with the Captain and make sure you take care today Partner, if you're going to do some crazy stuff then just imagine the lecture I’ll give you when I find out about it and just don't do it.” She said, her mouth curving into a grin when he laughed over the line.

“I've already got one wife Danni-girl, I don’t need a second one.” He said.

“Ha, I'm not brave enough for that” Danni retorted, smiling when Meka hung up the phone to her. She pressed the disconnect button.

“Meka is Hanamoa’s first name isn't it?” McGarrett asked from beside her, a curious look coming to his face. Danni nodded, hitting the indicator and turning left into a smaller road which would lead them to Doran’s place.

“That’s right” She clarified with a shrug. She opened her mouth to say something else to him when her phone went off for a second time, this time with a ringtone which she had been hoping not to hear. Sighing, she looked down at it, briefly considering not answering before she did. If she didn’t than the calls would simply continue and she didn't have time for it. She pressed the connect button. “Hello Duncan” She said, lowering her voice as she shifted in her seat as though hiding the conversation from McGarrett.

“Hey Elle” Duncan replied, “I was hoping I'd catch you, have you got a moment for me to talk?” Danni sighed before she nodded.

“I can give you a moment as long as you actually mean a moment, I’m on the job at the moment.” She replied, keeping her tone neutral.

“Thanks Elle, I need to ask you a question about Gracie and tonight” He said.

“What about her?” Danni demanded, “You know you could have come out this morning and asked me when I was waiting outside for Gracie to get ready” She pointed out to him.

“If memory serves me right Danielle I did ask you to come in so we could talk and you said that you had to make a call.” He pointed out to her. “You know there used to be a time where I could just call you and you would be happy to hear from me, is it so difficult for you to be the same way?” He asked her.

“Those days are gone Duncan and they aren't coming back” Danni told him. “You need to accept this, we're divorced now, we both signed that little piece of paper and submitted it to the judge, and I'm tired of having this conversation with you Duncan, just like I’m tired that you keep calling me Elle when you know you lost the right to do that. Just call me Danielle or Danni like everyone else does. That would make me happy and maybe make me slightly happier to hear your voice over my phone.”

“I signed that paper because you asked for it, I didn't sign it because I wanted to. As far as I'm concerned, signature or not, you're still my wife. Signing a piece of paper doesn't change the fact that we had a life together and a daughter,” He commented. She could almost picture his careless shrug in her mind.

“Yeah but what you did can change it” She responded quietly, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Look ask me what it is you need me to ask me so we can both get on with our day.” She heard Duncan sigh over the phone.

“I've just been told by my boss that our charity event at our back has changed to today. It was originally meant to be tomorrow. The date I was bringing with me can’t make it.”

“I'm sorry, your date?” She repeated, her hands tightening on the steering wheel again, her knuckles turning white.

“Yeah Elle, a date with a woman, as I said she can't make it though. The event starts at four and last for about two to three hours. Originally I was going to ask you to come with me to help me with the new clientele that the bank is trying to woo but considering everything that’s happened between us recently I'm assuming your answer would be no and I don't have the time to try and convince you to help me out so I'm thinking instead of bringing Grace with me. I'd pick her up from school when she finished at three and I’d make sure that she was back with you by seven. They're providing food at the event so you won't have to worry about feeding her when I bring her home to you.”

“Duncan” Danni said slowly, her grip tightening on the wheel. She would have given anything for this conversation to be happening anywhere other than her car with her new boss in close proximity clearly listening to every word which she and Duncan were exchanging while trying to act as though he wasn't and that the view out the windscreen was fascinating him. She breathed out, lowering her voice further. “You know that your day to have Grace with you is Wednesday. Today is Monday. It’s not your turn to have her.”

“I’m aware that it’s not my day Danielle” Duncan answered tersely, “That’s why I'm taking the time to ring you to ask that you make an exception for once in our custody arrangement. It’s for a good cause and Gracie would probably enjoy herself once she’s there.”

“I think we're going to have to disagree on what we consider a good cause to actually be Duncan, I for one don't actually consider you getting new clients for your bank as something which would fall under that category of thinking.” Danni commented, keeping her gaze fixed on the road.

“Danielle” Duncan stated, an undercurrent of warning to his voice which she noted and then ignored.

“I just want to make sure I have this right in my head Duncan. You’ve rang me knowing I’m in the middle of a case because you want to swap your Wednesday evening with Grace for tonight instead because you want her to attend a benefit at your bank with you tonight instead because the date you arranged can't shift her schedule to fit you in? Is that about right or have I missed something?” She asked. There was a moment’s pause as though Duncan was running through what she had said in his head before he spoke, a smug tone to his voice which made Danni clench her teeth together in annoyance.

“If I didn't know better Elle I would say that you were jealous of the fact that I had a date lined up for the benefit” He remarked.

“Trust me when I say I'm not jealous Duncan, we’re divorced now so you can go and sleep with as many women as you want to as long as you don't bring them home when our daughter is there.” Danni commented, keeping her voice neutral and steady. “I’m just asking because I’ll have to let Gracie and the school know that you're picking her up instead of me today, nothing more and nothing less.”

“Why do I even have to swap days” Duncan demanded angrily, abruptly changing the subject. “Why can't I have her tonight and Wednesday? Why does it have to be one or the other! I am her father Danielle, she does love me just as much as she loves you. She likes spending time with me.”

“Firstly this isn't a competition over who Grace loves more Duncan” Danni remarked coldly. “She loves us both the same and I've never said once that she doesn't enjoy spending time with you, she always looks forward to her weekends with you. This is down to the fact that you want to have her on a day which is one of mine and that you've given me three hours’ notice of your intentions. If you had given me more notice then I’d be a lot more willing to agree to your request.” She stated.

“Danielle I-“

“Don't Danielle me Duncan, I’m not finished speaking yet. We came to this custody agreement together, we sat down for hours and hashed it out. I offered to give you two days during the week and you declined because you said you'd be too busy with your job. We agreed that you would have Grace on Wednesday evenings and alternative weekends and we also agreed that if there was to be a change in the schedule that we would have to give the other at least 72 hours’ notice so other arrangements could be made. That 72 hours was your idea not mine. I'm not being unreasonable here, if anything I think I’ve been too reasonable when it’s come to some of your recent demands so don't try and paint me as the bad guy here. Now I’m fine as a one off to change days with you so that you can have her this evening even though it’s at such short notice. I'm fine with you picking her up from school and feeding her as well but you have you tonight or you have her Wednesday but you're not having her both days, not this time so I suggest you decide which one you want more.” She told him. He fell silent again leaving her listening to the sound of his breathing over the line before he spoke again.

“Just how long are you going to make me pay for the mistake I made Danielle?” He asked, an almost tired note to his voice. “Asking to have Grace for two evenings as an one of isn't an unreasonable request to make and you know it.” He pointed out. Danni made a short sound of frustration at the back of her throat at his comment. The man was like a freaking broken record, she had already lost count of the number of times this conversation had played out.

“That has nothing to do with it and you know it doesn't and bringing it up yet again isn't going to change my mind.” She told him shortly. “Now, are you picking up our daughter from school and taking her with you to the benefit or am I still picking her up? I need to know one way or another.”

He sighed before he spoke.

“I'll take her tonight instead of Wednesday Elle” He answered her.

“Okay then” She said. “I'll text the school once I'm out of the car and let them know that you're the one getting her today. Have her back with me by seven Duncan, her bed time is seven thirty so that will give us enough time to go through her evening routine. Be careful with what she eats at the buffet, you know how she gets when she eats rich or spicy food. She'll be up all night with a stomach ache if she has some and neither of us want that for her.”

“She'll be with you by seven, I know the man who is arranging the food and he’s already said he'd make sure there was Grace friendly food at the place. I gave him a list just in case he forgot in the rush. I'll see you tonight when I drop her off just…” he stopped, hesitating for a moment before he spoke again. “Just be careful out there, don't get yourself killed.”

“I’m not planning to Duncan” She told him dryly before she sighed. “I hope you and Gracie have a good time tonight and you woo the people you need to woo. Bye”

“Bye Elle” He replied before she disconnected the phone, she stared at it for a moment before she turned her attention back to the road, lifting her hand to her head and rubbing at her temple. She could feel a bad headache beginning to brew.

“So I take it that your marriage to your husband didn't end as well as it could have done.” McGarrett commented quietly, an undercurrent to his voice which she couldn’t identify. She glanced towards him, unsurprised to see him watching her closely.

“Listen” She said “There are topics which we're never going to discuss together and the end of my marriage is right at the top of that list because it’s nothing to do with you, the same way as it’s nothing to do with anyone else. The only people who know what happened are me and Duncan and that’s the way it’s going to remain. All you need to know is that you were right in your assessment, Grace and I are here because of Duncan and his job and we will be here for at least the next year and a half, there’s nothing else that concerns you right now.” She stated, meeting his eyes and watching them narrow slightly at her.

“Year and a half?” He repeated. Danni nodded.

“Duncan is at his posting for two years, we've been here on this pineapple infested island for six months already which means we have a year and a half left, I guess we'll see after that time period what’s going to happen.” She answered.

“You know you don't seem pleased to be here in Hawaii” McGarrett commented thoughtfully. “Most people would love to be able to live here but not you, instead you refer to it as a pineapple infested island. Do you not like the beach or something?” He asked. Danni raised an eyebrow at him.

“The beach?” She repeated “What has the beach got to do with anything? I call the place a pineapple infested island and you somehow draw the conclusion that I don't like the beach from that, most people would have asked if I didn't like pineapples” She remarked with a shake of her head.

“The fact that you're arguing over it tells me that you don't like the beach” He commented, ignoring what she had said. “Who the hell doesn't like the beach especially when the beaches are made up of golden sand?” He asked sounding genuinely confused for the moment.

“Sand is sand” Danni responded “And sand if you aren't careful with it tends to go places where it’s not meant to go.”

“That only happens if the towel you bring with you isn't big enough for you to lie on” McGarrett responded, his confusion giving away to amusement. “You know I could easily lend you a large beach towel if you wanted, if I can lie on it without any problems then you would definitely be able to. That way you wouldn't get any sand where it wasn't meant to be.” He pointed out. Danni made a sound at the back of her throat.

“I appreciate the offer but I don’t need your towel, I'll have you know that I already have a large beach towel which does an adequate job of keeping me sand free. It’s purple as well which is even better” She remarked.

“Because purple is your favourite colour?” McGarrett countered thoughtfully, Danni waved a hand at him, ignoring his question as she continued answering his first point.

“I've got nothing against beaches if I've got my large towel with me, I just happen to prefer cities. I like the hustle and bustle of a city, I like being able to stroll through a park or go to an art gallery or a museum. I like being able to look around me and experience the change of the seasons and watch the green leaves turn red as fall hits. I like my Christmases being snow filled so I can build snowmen and make snow angels with my daughter and my nieces and nephews. In case you haven't noticed everything I love other than the parks is missing from your island. In a city I don't have to spend my time worrying about tsunamis or Grace being stung by a jellyfish or-”

“Tell me that you at least know how to swim Williams?” McGarrett interrupted.

“Do I know how to swim?” She stated. “Tell me are we having the same conversation? Because I haven't mentioned swimming once during this whole conversation and yet here you are bringing it up as though we were discussing it” She said, taking a deep breath as she rolled her shoulders back before she answered him. “Yes McGarrett I do know how to swim, I'm actually a very competent swimmer. I just make the conscious decision not to enter the ocean unless I have to. When it comes to the ocean I swim for survival, I don't swim for the fun of it” She told him, meeting his eyes again. He searched them for a moment before he spoke.

“Why do you hate pineapples?” He queried.

“I don't” Danni answered briefly, hitting the indicator and turning into a road to the right of them.

“So why refer to this place as pineapple infested if you like pineapples?” He pressed. Danni shrugged.

“I like pineapples but Grace is allergic to them so forgive me for not liking a place where everything seems laced with something which could harm my daughter and make her sick” She answered, glancing down at her phone when it went off, a smile coming to her face at the ring tone.

“You know maybe you should turn the phone off” McGarrett commented pointedly. She shook her head.

“Not when I'm the mother of a seven year old daughter, this phone is never off” She answered before she hit the connect button and spoke. “Hey monkey, how is school going?” She asked, her voice softening. She tilted her wrist so she could see her watch before she continued. “Are you on your lunch break? Is everything okay?”

“We've just gone on it” Grace replied happily down the line. “I just wanted to tell you that everybody loves Mr Hoppy Mamma, they all want to hold him and pet him and he was really, really good. Ms Clarke said that he was the best behaved Rabbit she had ever seen” Grace told her proudly.

“Well I’m glad that everyone loved Mr Hoppy baby and that he’s been behaving like a good Rabbit, you should ask Ms Clarke if she has any carrots you could give him as a reward for good behaviour” She suggested with a smile. “We'll have to go out tomorrow after you've finished school and find a shop which sells pet supplies. We'll need to get him a hutch and some food and everything else which a Rabbit could need.” She said, silently cursing her ex in her mind as she tried to figure out in her mind where Mr Hoppy could go. Their garden was a tiny one and mainly used for growing their own vegetables. A hutch added to the mix would take up any remaining space which they had.

“Why do we have to wait to get it until tomorrow Mamma, can't we go after school today to get them? I don't want to keep Mr Hoppy in the cage Daddy got me, he might get cold or uncomfortable in there” Grace pointed out sounding worried.

“We can't go tonight Gracie” She said regretfully. “Your Daddy rang me earlier, he wants to take you out tonight to a big benefit at his work. He wants you as his date so you can spend time together so you’ll be with him tonight and then tomorrow I promise will be spent making Mr Hoppy as comfortable as we can be.” She said softly.

“Mamma” Grace said, her voice turning into a whine. “I really don't want to go to one of Daddy’s events, they are boring. I want to go with you and get everything for Mr Hoppy and then I want to watch a movie with you and eat junk food.”

“I know Gracie and I want that as well, I can't think of a better way to spend the evening but it would mean a lot to your Daddy if you went with him. You can get all dressed up for it and I might actually be fun. You can take lots and lots of photos for me to look at and you’ll be home by seven so we can read the next chapter of Harry Potter together before you go to bed. You know how much your Daddy loves spending time with you Grace, it would mean a lot if you went with him. Besides once it’s done then we can spend the whole week together, we could go to the movies on Friday night if you want you and get lots of popcorn to eat and then we're going to Uncle Meka’s big BBQ on Saturday so there’s lots of things to look forward to.” Danni said, she heard Grace sigh over the phone line before she answered.

“Okay Mamma I'll go tonight” She said. “Is Daddy picking me up from school or are you?”

“Your Daddy is picking you up so he'll be right outside the school gates at three in the normal spot to pick you up.”

“Okay Mamma” Grace responded.

“I've got to go now Gracie, you're going to have a good time tonight, I’m sure once you're there you’ll enjoy it” She told her daughter gently. “Enjoy the rest of your day and remember that I love you to the edges of the Universe and beyond baby”

“I love you too Mamma, bye.”

“Bye” Danni said, hanging up the phone. She glanced towards McGarrett to see him watching her again.

“What now?” She demanded.

“Nothing” He said holding his hands up peacefully. “Just thinking about how Mr Hoppy is a cute name for a Rabbit” He stated. Danni frowned slightly, looking at him again wondering whether he was speaking the truth, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“My daughter named him, she only got him at the weekend so she’s still besotted with the small thing” Danni explained. McGarrett nodded.

“If you need the names of some good pet shops then I can give them to you” He offered. Danni opened her mouth to refuse when she closed it, looking at him again before she nodded.

“Yeah, that would actually be good if you could.” She admitted. McGarrett nodded.

“You'll have them by the end of the day” He promised.

Danni stared at him for a moment longer before she forced her attention back to the road. The sooner they got to Doran’s trailer, the better it would be for all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	6. You're the backup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danni visit Fred Doran...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyho,
> 
> Just a quick warning that things begin to move away from the pilot from here. It was never my intention initially to do anything but follow the pilot but it just seemed to happen so I went with it. I guess because this is story one in an ongoing series things which happen here are explained in later stories.... If you want to see those other stories and chapter then they are on ffnet. I'm not sure whether I'll put them up on here...
> 
> Anyway please enjoy

23rd September 201  
Darlington Trailer Park  
Laiu  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
\--------------------------------------------------------

The very minute that Danni drove the Camaro up the dirt path which led into to the trailer park where Doran lived, was the very same moment which she wanted to reverse and drive away without so much of a glance back in her side mirrors. The whole place gave off a vibe which instantly placed her on full alert, turning the slight unease each she had been experiencing into full blown concern instead.

Danni had learnt the hard way to always trust her instincts when it came to unknown situations and at that one moment in time every instinct she possessed was telling her that they should remain in the car and call for backup before they proceeded any further. For them to head in there when there was just the two of them would be stupid and reckless and would result in one of them, if not both of them, being injured and shot. With the way her day had been going Danni was willing to bet that she would be the one making the journey in the back of an ambulance to the nearest A&E to be stitched up.

She killed the engine, leaving her hand on the key as she leaned forward in her chair, looking through the window screen and took in as much detail of the surrounding area as she could see. It was tightly packed with trailers of all different sizes leaving only narrow paths which they would have to go in single file to get through. Doran would have plenty of escape routes he could take and plenty of areas where he could launch an attack if he chose to. They needed officers at each entrance point to cut off his routes. The fact that it was crowded with civilians was also a concern. She watched for a moment as people came and went, leaving their trailers with arms full of fresh washing, calling out to each other as they went about their business. It would be easy for Doran to grab one of them and use them as a hostage. The whole scene was a disaster just waiting to happen.

Danni nibbled on her lower lip, frowning slightly as she mentally weighed their chances. The people had turned when they had driven up, their expressions curious at first before they were replaced with a look of distrust, clearly viewing the pair of them as outsiders to their small community. It was a look which did nothing to ease Danni’s feelings of concern, if anything the looks merely elevated them to a new level. Danni had seen looks like these before back on the streets of New Jersey and the resulting confrontation had never ended well for either side. It was the look of someone who had very little to their name but who would fight to the death, regardless of who the person they were fighting was, to protect what little they had. It was the look of someone who believed that they had nothing to lose and everything to gain and it was a look which Danni dreaded seeing the most out of every other expression she had so far encountered on the job.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that she and McGarrett were standing on shaky ground here. Anything they did might be a trigger which could set off a situation. The people in front of them wouldn’t hesitate to attack them if they felt as though they were being provoked, especially since the pair of them were in their own clothes.

Danni reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes for a moment. They needed to ring through to dispatch for assistance, any other option was simply stupid and if there was one thing Danni tried not to be while working it was stupid.

She opened her eyes, glancing once more at the scene before she tilted it to the side, focusing her gaze on McGarrett instead. He looked calm and collected though that was hardly a surprise to her. He had clearly faced a lot worse during his time as an Active Navy SEAL and survived it well enough. Something like this must have been a walk in the park for him, something he could do alone and in his sleep. Danni watched as he pulled out his gun, checking the clip before he swiftly reassembled the gun, turning his head and meeting her gaze for a moment, searching for something which he must have found if the small nod he gave her was anything to go by, A second later he was shoving the passenger door open and stepping out of the car, slipping the gun into the waistband of his cargo pants and covering it with his shirt so it was out of sight of the locals. Danni’s mouth fell open for a moment before she forced herself to pay attention.

“Hey” She called after him before he could close the door, reaching down and unclipping her own seatbelt before she leaned over the gearstick so she could see him. “Hey McGarrett!” She heard him sigh softly to himself before he twisted back round, leaning down with one arm resting over the top of the door, his eyes focusing on her with a waiting expression as he raised one dark eyebrow in a questioning look.

“Williams” He countered calmly.

“Where exactly do you think you're going Commander?” She asked, noticing a flash of something in his eyes before he looked away. “Please get back into the car so we can come up with a plan about how we're actually going to handle this. I don't know if you've noticed but this is not the type of place or situation where we should run in with our guns blazing. If we do that then all hell will break lose and either we or someone innocent will get hurt in the crossfire” she told him.

McGarrett glanced back at her, twisting his head to the side as he straightened slightly, his eyes moving to and fro clearly scoping out the scene before he looked back towards her.

“You're worrying for no reason Williams” He told her. “I've been in this situation countless of times in the past and things have always worked out fine. We don't need an elaborate plan for this to work. We know exactly where Doran lives, all we need to do is to find his trailer, gain entry, arrest him and bring him back to headquarters for questioning so we can learn everything he knows about Hesse.”

“You did read the file on him right?” Danni questioned him in disbelief. “He’s a suspected arms dealer with psychotic tendencies. We can't just knock on his door, introduce ourselves and ask him nicely to come with us. It won't work with him. We need to find another way of getting in there.”

“We're not going to. A person like Doran will have hundreds of reasons which we can arrest him. All we need to do is find that way in and he’s ours. I don't care whether we find it when we're inside or out as long as we bring him with us.” McGarrett stated causing Danni to sigh as she rubbed at the back of her neck.

“That right there is your first mistake McGarrett because the judge and the DA and everyone else who will try him once we've finished questioning him will care if we enter his trailer without probable cause because then everything in there won't be eligible to be used.” She replied, breathing out before she nodded. “Okay, I got it. Let’s go”

McGarrett blinked at her.

“Care to share?” He asked.

“The gun which was used on your father was the same as the gun which killed the businessman last year. The same businessman who Doran was suspected of killing. It’s our duty to investigate Doran. That’s our ticket in.” She answered watching as he nodded.

“See, that was easy. We didn't need a plan after all.”

“That is a plan McGarrett” Danni responded. “And another thing, we really shouldn't be doing this without some kind of back up” She commented. “In case it’s managed to escape your notice due to your tunnel vision there are only the two of us here. Doran will put up a fight and for all we know he might have allies here who we don't know about.”

“You're the backup” He told her, flashing her a smile before he straightened again, slamming the door shut behind him as he began walking towards the trailers leaving Danni sitting alone in her silent car with a stunned expression on her face.

“I'm the backup” She repeated to herself, shaking her head as she spoke. “I hate him, I actually hate him. If he get us killed then I'm going to bring him back to life somehow just to kill him myself.”

For a split second Danni seriously considered leaving McGarrett alone and coming back for him later once everything that was going to happen had actually happened but she quickly dismissed the notion from her mind. She couldn't leave him, the man was her partner now whether she wanted him to be or not. He was counting on her to have his back and she couldn't let him down, not when she knew how rare it was. Cursing him under her breathe for his inability to just wait, she kicked her heels off, grabbing the flats from her bag and slipped them on, she had the feeling she would need them. She climbed out of the car, slamming her own door shut behind her and quickly locked it, not trusting it here.

She instantly spotted McGarrett striding ahead of her, his head moving side to side, no doubt searching for any sign he could that would lead them to Doran and his trailer. Danni shook her head, saying a quick prayer for strength as she hurried after him, she caught up quickly, moving past him and twist round so she was facing him, placing her palm against his chest and pushing, stopping him in his tracks.

“Will you please just stop for a moment and think. You don't even know which direction you're meant to be heading in, you're just wandering around searching. Do you see now why it’s a good idea to have a plan in place before you stroll into things like this? Plans are a good thing to have McGarrett. Plans stop mistakes from occurring. They also tend to stop people from being shot at because they've done something stupid like walking blindly into situations they know very little about. I personally like plans so please can we both just stop for a moment and discuss how we're actually going to do this before something happens that neither of us can take back.” She stated.

McGarrett glanced down at the hand which she still held against his chest, a slight frown coming to his face as though he was surprised that it was there though he made no effort to remove it. Instead he looked down at her, his brow furrowing slightly as he spoke.

“As I said before, we find where Doran trailer is, we arrest him and we make him talk”

“We make him talk?” Danni repeated, waving her free hand around her. “Just out of pure interest, how exactly are you planning on making a man like Doran talk to us about anything? I hate to tell you Commander but the technique that the army taught you while training you, aren't actually legal here in the real world. We're cops, or rather I am, which means that as much as we may want to or as much as he might deserve it we can't actually touch him. If we want information from him that the DA can actually use in the courtroom then we need to somehow convince him to talk without resorting to violence.”

McGarrett was silent for a moment, his body still as he stared at her with an expressionless look on his face which made Danni wonder exactly what he was thinking. She waited, giving him the time and was rewarded when he spoke a moment later.

“I’m in the Navy Detective, not in the army” He corrected her mildly.

Danni blinked, dropping her hand from his chest as she crossed her arms over her torso.

“That’s very cute” She commented dryly. “So that’s what you took away from what I just said to you is it?” She demanded, shaking her head as she took a step towards him, entering his personal space and glaring up at him. “Right now Commander I don't care whether you're in the army or the navy or the flipping air force. The only thing I care about right now is getting this right the first time round and not messing it up over something small which could have been easily avoided.” She commented, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose again, wondering not for the first time, how she had ended up being partnered with someone like McGarrett who clearly had no intention of listening to a word she said to him. Breathing out, she dropped her hand and look around her, frowning slightly before she spoke. “You are aware Commander that you're heading in the wrong direction? That trailer there” She said, indicating the nearest one with a wave of her hand. “Is number forty, the one next to it is forty two. According to the address the database has for Doran he lives at number thirty two which would actually be down there.” She commented, pointing past McGarrett down one of the narrow trail ways.

McGarrett’s eyes narrowed at her before they flickered away to focus on the trailer numbers. She caught sight of his frown as he turned back towards her and glared at her. Danni stared back with an impassive look, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for him to say something.

“Hey beautiful, I'm thinking that you might be ever so slightly lost to be here. We don't tend to get many women who look like you in these parts!”

Danni blinked as an unfamiliar voice spoke, she frowned slightly taking a step to the side so she could see past McGarrett’s tall frame, her gaze landing on a group of young men who were gathered together in one of the small pathways between trailers just beyond where they were standing. She counted seven of them in total though there could easily have been more of them hidden from sight. The eldest of them looked to be in his early to mid-twenties while the youngest was probably about fifteen, maybe even younger. The rest seemed to fit in between the two ages.

“Lost?” Danni repeated, raising her voice up slightly so the group could hear her over the surrounding noise. “Normally you’d be right but on this occasion I’m not lost. I happen to know exactly where I'm meant to be going unlike some other people I know.” She commented lightly with a smile at them. She took a step forward, tilting her head to the side as she reached down between her and McGarrett and grabbed his wrist in her hand, digging her nails into the soft flesh though she made sure she kept her gaze fixed on the group. McGarrett was a navy man so she was sure that he would take the gesture as her way of telling him that she wanted to take the lead with the boys. If McGarrett took it then the group might flee and warn Doran that they were coming and then any hope they had of surprise would be gone.

“Are you sure you aren’t?” A second voice piped up. Danni’s eyes flickered over the faces until she found the voice owner, a tall slim boy of about seventeen or eighteen with a mop of dark shaggy hair which was in need of a good cut and a pair of dark eyes which looked concerned. Seeing he had Danni’s attention he continued to speak “I mean this place is like a rabbit warren. It’s real easy to get lost in you know? We've learnt how to navigate it so we could help if there was somewhere you needed to go?” He offered, a flush of pink dusting his high cheekbones.

“I appreciate the offer but I think we'll be okay” Danni responded pleasantly. She took a step towards them, letting go of McGarrett’s wrist and slotted her body between him and the boys. She crossed her arms over her chest keeping the expression on her face open and friendly. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” She queried. There was a moment of silent as they glanced at each other.

“It depends on the question” One of the older boys commented, a trace of suspicion to his voice, this one had probably just turned twenty and appeared nervous though he was trying to hide it. She noticed that his eyes kept flickering between her and McGarrett before moving round the area as though he was searching for something or someone.

“I'm guessing that you all must have live here for all your lives right?” She asked curiously. The boys looked at each other again, seemingly considering her question for a moment before they looked back at her, some of them nodding other giving her verbal confirmation in the form of grunts and yeses. “So in that case you must know everyone who lives here?” She pressed.

“Everybody who lives here knows everybody and they know all their business as well.” The youngest answered her, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s a small neighbourhood lady and some of the people here don't like strangers or newbies arriving.”

“That’s not a surprise” Danni agreed with a nod towards him aware of Steve moving slightly behind her as though he was shifting from one foot to the other. She continued to speak. “I mean this area belongs to you all, it’s your home. It would make complete sense that you would know everyone who was in it and where they were at any given time right? That way you know who is trouble and who isn't and if you know who is trouble and where they are then you can easily stay away from them and protect yourselves right?”

“That’s right” Came the reply followed by a general murmur of agreement.

“So in that case you must know where Fred Doran currently is?” She asked curiously.

The change that came over the group the group at the mention of the name was almost instant. One moment the boys had been relaxed and clearly happy to talk to Danni about anything she wanted for as long as she wanted, the next their body language shifted, becoming wary and alerted instead. The boys who had been spread out from each other; leaning against the trailers or hunching down immediately straightened or came to their feet coming back to the main group and packing in together tightly.

“You should probably take that as your answer. “ McGarrett murmured as he stepped up beside her. She spared a quick glance from the corner of her eyes, noticing that his body had tensed up slightly, clearly ready to spring into action if the need arose.

“Why do you want to know where big D is?” One of the younger boys near the centre of the group asked anxiously. “Are you cops or something?”

“No” McGarrett responded before Danni could open her mouth to answer him. “Definitely not a cop. We've just got some business to take care of and we heard through the grapevine that Doran was the person to go to, to get it done.”

The boys shared another speaking look, silently communicating with each other before they looked back at them, their gazes focusing on Danni as though they found her the easier of the two to speak to rather than McGarrett. She couldn't blame them, McGarrett was rather intimidating, especially when he had his unreadable look on his face like he did now.

“Big D lives down that way. You can’t miss his trailer, it’s the one with fencing all around it. Everyone here knows that you don’t step past the fence unless he’s expecting you and your business with him with legit.” The eldest said, speaking for the first time. He stepped forward, twisting his body round and pointed his finger in the direction which Danni had pointed out earlier. “It’s a two minute walk from where we are now and he is currently in. We saw him earlier in the window of his trailer.”

“It’s good to know he’s here” Danni said with a smile. “Thank you for letting us know.”

The younger man searched her face for a moment before he nodded at her, turning to the group with him and spoke to them.

“Let’s go” He stated, glancing back towards Danni before he led them down one of the passageways clearly wanting to put a great deal of distance between Danni and McGarrett and Doran’s trailer. Danni watched them leave, raising an eyebrow when the boy with the shaggy hair stopped suddenly and looked back towards Danni, a worried look on his face.

“You should be careful when you go there” He stated, keeping his gaze on Danni, indicating who he was speaking to. “Big D really hates women, especially Ha’ole women and he’s got no problem with showing them exactly how much he hated them if you get what I mean” He commented, scuffing his foot against the dirt. “He says the only thing they are good for is sex and he likes…” his voice trailed off and instead he lifted his hand to his face, waving it towards the area of his cheek with an awkward look.

“I see” Danni said slowly. “I'll be okay though, you should catch up with the rest of your friends, there’s no point staying here if you don't have to.”

The boy nodded once before he turned and disappeared the same way his friends had gone leaving Danni and McGarrett alone in the area. She looked down the thin alleyway the boy had indicated, frowning slightly to herself.

“I'm surprised that they gave up that information to us so quickly” McGarrett commented breaking the silence which had fallen between them. Danni glanced towards him, shrugging her shoulders at the comment.

“I'm not” She replied simply, going on to explain when she caught the fleeting confused expression which crossed his face. “Doran is clearly the big man on campus here who runs everything with an iron fist. If I had to hazard a guess I would say that those boys were hanging out together for protection. You know safety in numbers and all that. They've probably had a run in with Doran or his associates who have visited in the past because the minute you said we were going to see him about business they ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction. They were terrified by the mere mention of Doran’s name though they tried to hide it.” She said, breathing out as she absently reached up and pulled at her lower lip thoughtfully before she spoke again. “You heard what that boy said McGarrett, Doran hates women and he clearly mistreats them. If I was going to give him a psyche analysis then I would say that Doran was abused as child by his mother or some other female relative who had close contact with him when he was growing up. If it was his mother then he probably loved and hated her in equal measure. He wanting and needing her approval and hating the fact that he still wanted and needed her approval. He hates women as a result, projecting those emotions onto every women he sees. It’s a classic tale really.” She looked towards McGarrett surprised to see that he was staring at her, his face fixed into its usual emotionless look though she detected a glint in his eyes as though he was impressed by what she had said. “What?” She asked him, tilting her head to the side. “You look surprised, you know I am more than just a pretty face.”

“So I can see” McGarrett answered, his eyes moving across her features with an almost warm look which took her by surprised. “Let’s go” He remarked, his voice changing, becoming all business again as he led her down the path the boys had indicated. They walked silent for a minute, Danni watching the trailers either side of her, she could feel eyes watching them but no one approached them or came outside to challenge them. “There’s it is” McGarrett commented, coming to a halt. Danni came to her side, her gaze landing on trailer that McGarrett had nodded towards. It was larger than the others around them, surrounded by a fence just like they had been warned. “Are you ready?” He asked turning to look at her. Danni glanced back at the trailer once before she nodded at him.

“As I'll ever be” She responded. McGarrett nodded at her before he brushed lightly past her, his attention fixed on the trailer in front of them. Danni breathed out, straightening her shoulders and followed him towards it. If she had known in advance that was how her day was going to end up then she would have worn trousers or better yet simply stayed in bed with the duvet pulled over her head.

McGarrett came to a sudden stop, reaching out with him hand and grabbing Danni by her arm, pulling her back against one of the nearby trailers into the shadows, his gaze still fixed on the trailer. Danni glanced past him in time to see the door to the trailer slam open and a young blond woman storm out. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a bikini top, both of which had clearly seen better days. Her straight blond hair fell to her shoulders in a state of tangles as though she hadn't brushed it for days. There was a large bruise around her eye which looked extremely painful and extremely fresh as though the injury had just happened moments before.

“I'm so done with you and all your shit! You've ruined my god damn life you bastard!” She screamed over her shoulder as she took the porch steps two at a time. The door opened again with enough force that it slammed against the side of the trailer, cracking the glass in the door.

“And right there is the man of the hour” She murmured softly to McGarrett as Fred Doran emerged from his home, his face twisted into an expression of rage.

“Jaycee! Get back in here now, I’m not finished with your scrawny ass yet.” He screamed at the girl, standing at the top of the stairs as the girl made her way across the dusty ground, her bag held tightly in her hand.

“Well I'm finished with you” She yelled back at him. “Trust me when I say you won't see me again.”

“You'll be back bitch, you always do, and you always come running back to me.” He screamed at her before he turned and stormed back into the house. Danni blinked, shaking her head as the girl disappeared away.

“Well, that right there was the picture of a happy and healthy relationship” She remarked sarcastically. McGarrett nodded at her squeezing her arm before he let go of it.

“True” He remarked “But Doran is nothing that we can't deal with” He stated, making a move towards the trailer.

“Hey again with the rushing into things.” Danni commented, lunging forward and grabbing his arm with her hand. “Look we need to be logical about all of this McGarrett. We can't go kicking down the door and threatening him. Not only is Doran clearly unhinged but he is also an arms dealer remember? He probably has about fifty weapons in there within his reach and I'm willing to be that he would be extremely happy to use any of them on us.”

McGarrett sighed and turned back to her.

“What exactly do you suggest then?” He queried. “We go and knock on his door and ask nicely to be let in so we can talk to him and then arrest him?”

“Exactly, if we knock now then he’s going to think it’s the blond girl coming back again so he'll open the door” She answered, ignoring the tone he used with her. “All we need is to get into that trailer McGarrett and then he’s ours He has no idea we're coming and we can use that to our advantage.”

“How do you make that out?” He asked.

“Because of all those illegal guns that he wants to use on us.” She replied instantly. “I highly doubt that he has a licence for every weapon on his property and I bet that if CSU were to test those weapons at least half of them would come back as linked to ongoing cases. We get into that trailer, he arrest him and then we rip his home apart finding evidence that we can use to nail the son of a bitch to the wall. He'll go away for life, you get time alone with him to question him and gain everything he knows about Hesse. And I, I get to go home tonight, uninjured so I can see my daughter. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. Well” she amended “Not for Fred Doran but he’s scum so his opinion doesn't really matter in the large scale of things.”

“And if he shoots us before then which is likely?” McGarrett asked her raising an eyebrow. Danni considered his question for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders.

“Well if he shoots at us then he would have forced our hand wouldn't he? If he shoots us then we shoot the bastard back preferably in a non-fatal area of his body, though if he shoots at me then I give you my permission to shoot the bastard in an area that would be extremely painful for him. I've got complete confidence in your abilities to manage that for me.”

“I could manage that.” He answered with a half-smile before he jerked his head towards the trailer. “Can we go and arrest the man now Danni or are we going to stand here and discuss it some more,” He remarked. Danni nodded, her eyes widening when she realise that McGarrett had called her by her given name for the first time. Her shoulders slumped down, if he was going to start calling her Danni then she would be forced to return the favour and call him Steve. McGarrett lightly pulled his arm from her grasp and headed to the trailer, stopping by the side and plastering himself against the faded red boards, he looked back at her with a frown and spoke quietly. “Have you got your gun on you?”

“Have I got my gun on me?” she hissed back at him. “Don't you think that it’s a little too late for you to be asking me if I've got my gun on me? Luckily for you, I am a professional and so I always have my gun on me because I am a cop and that’s what we're meant to do.”

“So where is it exactly?” He questioned, his eyes flickering up and down her body thoughtfully.

“It doesn't matter where it is. All that matters is that I have my gun with me so let’s go. I’d like to get this over and done with so I can go home later on at a reasonable hour to see my daughter.”

McGarrett remained silent, his eyes still looking at her before he turned away and began moving towards the door. Danni rolled her eyes at his back as she followed him, straightening her spine. She stopped outside the door, wishing briefly that she was still in her heels before she reached up and knocked three times on the wood. She glanced to the side of her, a smile coming to her face when she noted the constipated look on McGarrett’s face, clearly this softly, softly approach went against every instinct which he had.

“Hey” She said softly attracting his attention. “I'll knock one more time at the door and then you can take over okay?” She told him, the smile on her face widening when she noticed the way his eyes lit up at her words. Shaking her head she lifted her hand to the door again, stopping when she heard Doran’s voice on the other side of the door, getting louder with each word as though he was approaching them.

“I told you would come crawling back to me bitch, you just can't keep away from me, no one else would put up with your shit, I-” The door was flung open, revealing Doran, his dark eyes widened as he caught sight of them, “What the-“

“Please don't do anything stupid” Danni warned him when Doran’s words trailed off, his body tensing up. “You can’t reach your gun quick enough to use against us but we can and we will shoot you if you go for it. The decision is yours.”

Doran’s cold eyes focused on her, narrowing as he gave her a blatant look up and down in a way which made her want to shudder though she kept her face expressionless. He licked his lips before he spoke, his eyes still fixed on her as though he was silently challenging her to react.

“I don’t talk to cops bitch, especially not cops who are female and a Ha’ole on top of that.”

Danni’s mouth curled up into a humourless smile at his words.

“Well I don't particular like talking to scumbags like you either but it appears that we all have to do something we don't want to do today. Now the way this is going to work is simply Fred. You're going to invite us into your trailer. If you don't then I'm going to step out of the way and allow my partner here to deal with you the way Navy SEALs are taught to deal with people like you. I’m sure you don't want to have to deal with that amount of pain. I don't particularly want that to happen either because I'm certain that there would be a lot of paperwork to complete about it and that’s just a hassle I can do without. In fact thinking about it, I think the only one who would be happy with that outcome would be the Commander here” She ended thoughtfully looking towards Steve whose gaze was fixed solely on Doran, a look in his eyes which reminded her of a predator which had scented its prey. She looked back at Doran, noticing that he had followed her gaze. “Looking at his expression I would hazard the guess that he really doesn't like you and that never ends well for anyone. I don't want to force you into anything, I mean you're free to exert your rights to refuse but personally I suggest you do it my way. Less bother and pain all around.” She remarked with a shrug of her shoulders.

She waited quietly as Doran looked between the two of them, his hand curling into a fist at his side. She could almost see him mentally weighing his options up to see whether she was right or not. He suddenly growled in his throat, a look of hate coming to his face as he looked at them both before he took one step back and to the side leaving the entrance to the trailer open.

“Come in” He stated through gritted teeth.

“Thank you, we will” Danni remarked calmly, she took a single step forward, stopping abruptly when McGarrett’s arm shot out, creating a barrier and stopping her from entering. She glanced at him questioningly rolling her eyes when he stepped in front of her, blocking her from Doran’s view with his own tense body. She shook her head as Steve stepped in, following him into the trailer.

She looked around her, her nose wrinkling up in disgust as she took in the state of the interior. The place was a complete and utter mess to the point that she wondered how anyone, even someone like Doran who clearly didn't care too much about his own personal hygiene, could live there. She moved around McGarrett, her attention focusing on a low table to the right hand side of them, a table which was covered with scales and lines of suspicious looking white powder which could only be one thing in her mind. A second glance around showed that there were guns and weapons everywhere, some poorly hidden others in plain view as though Doran had been in the process of cleaning them or using them.

She moved further into the main room, getting herself into a position where Steve could see her without having to take his attention away from Doran, she met his eyes for a second and gave a slight nod towards him, telling him without words to take the bulk of the interview while she looked around. She received a single nod back before McGarrett turned his gaze to Doran again and spoke in a cold, deadly voice she hadn't experienced before, a voice which sent a shiver down her spine.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m not interested in you Doran, I'm only interested in the information which you can provide us with.”

“Information” Doran repeated, sounding almost surprised for a moment as though he had expected that to be the last thing which they wanted from him. “What sort of information do you and your little pet Ha’ole want because I've got nothing to say to a pair of cops.”

“You gave a man called Victor Hesse a gun, I want you to tell me where he is and how he contacted you. Did he call you on a cell number? Tell me and I’ll leave you in my partner’s capable hands. She’s gentler than I am when it comes to people like you. She would probably limit the amount she hurts you to a bullet in the kneecap rather than one to the head.” Steve remarked almost casually. Danni glanced back towards him with a raised eyebrow as she continued to quietly move around, using Doran distraction to their advantage.

“I told you before that I'm not telling you jack shit so how about instead you get the fuck out of my trailer before I show you exactly what I do to guest who are unwelcome.”

“It sounds to me like you rather do this the hard way which is the way I prefer it” Steve remarked, a pleased tone coming to his voice. She ignored it as she headed over to the table, standing beside it as she reached into her bag and pulled out a fresh pair of adhesive gloves, pulling them on.

“What the hell are you doing bitch? Get the hell away from there.”

Danni ignored Doran as she tilted her head to the side, leaning towards the table surface and took a small pinch of the white powder between her fingertips, grinding it between them so she could feel the texture of it. She looked back at Doran and raised her eyebrow at her.

“Really Fred, Drugs?” She asked as though she was asking him what he wanted to eat. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you how dangerous they were and just how much trouble you could get into?”

“What are you deaf or something? I told you to get the hell away from there!” Doran yelled at her, moving towards her fast. Danni blinked in surprise, one minute Doran had been rushing towards her with murder in his eyes and the next he was on his knees, one of his arms wrenched hard behind his back with enough force that it could easily have been broken. Doran moaned in pain before he started cursing at them. Danni blinked again, lifting her gaze to McGarrett when he spoke.

“You know going for my partner is a really stupid move” He growled, jerking Doran’s arm up further causing Doran to cry out again.

“Commander” Danni said mildly, an undercurrent of warning to her voice as she continued speaking. “The last thing we want is to have to take him to the hospital.” McGarrett glanced up at her for a second before he lowered the arm slightly. “Thank you.” Danni remarked calmly as she pulled off her adhesive gloves.

“I’m going to kill you, you fucking bitch, there will be nowhere on this island that you can hide from me.” Doran stated, panting with pain as he glared at her. Danni shrugged lightly forcing herself to keep her face thoughtful.

“The more you open your mouth, the more you make my life easier Fred. If I was you I would seriously consider using my right to maintain my silence right about now. At the moment we have you on possession of illegal drugs, suspicion of intent to sell, possession of illegal weapons, attempting to assault a member of the Governor’s personal task force.” She stopped, crossing her arms over her chest, bringing her hand to her face so she could tap her finger thoughtfully against her cheek. “What about you Commander, can you think of anything off the top of your head that I've missed off or have I pretty much covered it all?”

“We could probably add the fact that he is an accomplice to a murder. There’s the fact that he withheld evidence and knowledge during an ongoing investigation. Perhaps we could charge him with being a general dickhead” Steve finished, sounding equally as thoughtful as Danni had.

“I’m not sure whether the last charge would actually stick but I would be willing to give it a go and see whether the DA would make Fred here the exception to the rule. Of course there’s also the death threats he made against the two of us as well. That is never a good idea. I think based on all that we're actually good to go” She finished, placing the used gloves in her bag before she turned her attention to Steve. “Have you got him secure there?” She queried.

“He’s not going anywhere unless he wants to try and live the next through months with a badly broken arm.” Steve replied calmly.

“Well that’s good to know” Danni said, searching through her bag for a moment before she pulled out her handcuffs and moved towards where they were, her gaze fixed on Doran. Her eyes flickered to Steve as he yanked Doran’s arm down, holding them together and allowing her to cuff his wrists together behind his back.

“Done” She said, moving to the side so she was standing next to Steve. “I need you to stay with him for a moment while I head outside to call dispatch. We need to get some back up down here not to mention a CSU team to start going over the place.” She told him as she pulled out her cell phone, she went through the contact book, bringing up the name she wanted before she looked back at him. “For the record, I could have handled myself when he rushed me but I appreciate the gesture it was…” She hesitated for a moment over her word before she spoke, her mouth curling into a smile. “Cute.”

She turned from him before he could respond, pressing the connect button on the phone and headed out of the trailer into the sunlight.

She had the feeling that this day was going to get a whole lot more interesting before it was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read!
> 
> An especially big thank you if you've taken the time to comment or leave kudos, it always makes the effort I put into each chapter worth it :)


	7. You've got twenty minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The back-up finally arrives and Steve and Danni look through Doran’s trailer and find an unpleasant surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this story is so much fun especially now that I'm going my own way. The difficult is knowing that I have to lose certain scenes from the pilot because they simply don't fit into the story anymore. I’m sorry for this but I will try and add other scenes in to make up for it.
> 
> I like the thought of Danni having a life and friends before she meet Steve and joins the taskforce. The other Detectives on the force might have hated her or at least been jealous of her but that doesn't meant that everyone else feels the same way, hence why the character of Ryan is introduced. I can't tell you what Ryan and Danni are too each other, I guess I’ll find out when you guys find out. What I do know however is the fact that I am more than a little in love with a jealous Steve.
> 
> Just remember that whatever happens Steve and Danni is the end game because they make sense to me. The only question is how long it takes to get there.

___________________________________  
23rd September 2010  
Darlington Trailer Park  
Laiu  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
___________________________________

“So let me get this straight in my head Williams; you and Commander McGarrett went to the home of Fred Doran, a man actively wanted by HPD in relation to several ongoing and cold cases, without any sign of a warrant or back up, and somehow though god only knows how, got yourself invited into his house by the son of a bitch himself. On top of that accomplishment you somehow have arrested the man without so much as a gun being fired, even though every damn psychological and police report we have, have all stated that Doran would never come in willingly and that his was the type of personality that would rather go down in a hail of bullets. Is that the basic drift of it?”

Danni tilted her head to the side, waiting silently for a moment as she considered Captain Hookano’s words, running through the past ten minutes before she nodded.

“That’s about the gist of it Captain” She replied calmly, ignoring the snort he made in response. Her mouth curled up into a half smile as she pictured the older man pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. If she had learnt anything about her old boss it was that this whole situation would be killing him.

“Tell me what charges you’re bringing him in on?” Hookano demanded, attracting her attention back to him. She shrugged.

“Where exactly would you like me to start Captain?” She asked him, resting one of her forearms against the fence which was around Doran’s trailer. A strong warning for everyone to stay far away from him. “For a start we have him on possession of illegal weapons, that’s a given like we always thought it would be.” She commented, there was a slight pause as the Captain digested the information.

“Are you positive that the guns are illegal Williams? Doran is a sneaky bastard, he might have the permits for them hidden away, a man like Doran could easily have a contact hidden away helping him with them. The last thing we want is for this case to fall apart like the last case against him did. Get evidence to support this, incontestable evidence. I want this son of a bitch behind bars for as long as humanly possible. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes Captain” Danni replied, twisting on the spot and looking back at the trailer. “You haven't seen this place Captain, it’s a goldmine of evidence. Everywhere you look there is a weapon, nearly all of them appear to be loaded and I'm willing to bet that a month’s salary that they have all been discharged sometime over the past few months either by himself or by some of his friends. As for the permits, I can't see anyone in their right minds issuing him with even one permit let alone the fifty plus he would need to cover the guns out here and these are the only ones which are on show, Doran probably had more out of sight.”

“You'll have to check that out for yourself Williams. We don't have the resources here to help you go through fifty guns to check whether they have permits or not. CSU are overworked with a triple homicide which happened downtown this morning.”

“We've got it covered” Danni responded, rolling her eyes.

“Of course you do Williams, you always have everything covered” Hookano replied, “What other charges have you got on Doran other than the weapon charge?”

“There’s a white powder on the table which looks as though its drugs. I can't test it obviously but from the feel and general look of the stuff I would hazard a guess that it’s cocaine. He had undoubtedly been planning on selling it and hadn't expected any visitors, especially visitors who happened to carry badges and could arrest his ass for it. It’s all out in the open for anyone to see.”

“The CSU team will have to test it when they get there to see exactly what it is. There’s rumours going around that there’s a new kind of drug on the street similar to cocaine.” Danni frowned at the comment, storing it in the back of her mind to look into later.

“There are plenty here that we can use to nail him to the wall. It’s safe to say that he’s going away for a long time this time Captain, there’s no way he can weasel his way out of this because I'm not going to let him. I’m going to crucify him and then I'm going to throw him to the DA and watch them throw him into a cell to rot away.”

“That might be the best news I've heard all day Williams” Hookano replied, he was silent for a second before he continued to speak. “You haven't rang me to talk though, you're ringing to ask for something.” He stated suspiciously.

“I need a CSU team out here as soon as possible and some uniformed police officers as well. There’s a crowd forming around the trailer, it looks like news of Doran’s arrest has spread across the trailer park and its big news.” She admitted, looking over the fence, her eyes looking at the growing crowd, snagging on some faces, memorising them before she moved on. “It doesn't look like they are about to kick off and there’s no one who is sending warning signals to me but it’s better to be safe and sorry. The presence of some uniform might help keep them calm and any potential trouble brewing at bay.”

“Done, I'll contact Agent Moore directly and have him send a CSU team to you, I'll make the request that he heads it up. We can't afford any mistakes on this. Uniforms have already been routed to you by dispatch, apparently they received an anonymous tip from a young male that a woman might be in danger at Fred Doran’s trailer. According to this they are about five minutes away from you. Any EMT needed?” He questioned briskly. Danni remained silent for a moment, smiling at the mention of the anonymous call, she had a feeling she knew who had made that call. “Williams? You still there?”

“Yeah, no EMT needed” She told him “Though if it changes we'll ring through.”

“This is the last time I'll be helping you out Williams, I shouldn't be helping you at all considering your new partner’s complete disregard for the police department and the work we do. If you and McGarrett choose to do this alone without calling backup first then that will be exactly what you are. Alone.”

“Noted” Danni said, blinking when she realised she was speaking to a dial tone and that Captain Hookano had hung up on her without waiting for an answer. Shaking her head, she cast another quick look around her, resting her hands against the fence before she nodded once to herself and turned, climbing up the steps and back into the shaded trailer. She glanced around her, her eyes focusing in on Steve making sure he was still okay before she switched her attention to Doran. “Huh” She commented in surprise when she saw Doran was now seated in the middle of a chair, his hands still handcuffed behind his bag. Steve had gagged him with what looked like a dirty piece of rag which was long enough that it tied easily round the back of Doran’s head so he couldn't spit it out. His face was red, but judging from the way his dark eyes were narrowed Danni was willing to bet that it was through anger rather than an inability to breathe. “Couldn't be bothered with listening to him speak anymore I see?” She commented casually, her gaze moving back to Steve. He glanced over his shoulder towards her, his hands stilling a moment from where he was going through a drawer. It was almost impressive that Steve had put the fear of god into Doran so much that even with Steve’s back turned the other man had made no attempt that she could see to escape.

“Yeah something like that” Steve agreed calmly. “He’s like you Detective, full of opinions about everything. I told him to quiet down but he didn't so I quietened him. Now that he’s stopped talking I can actually think.”

Danni felt her eyes narrow as she crossed her arms over her chest trying to conceal her reaction of anger at Steve’s casual comment.

“There’s nothing wrong with having opinions Commander” She stated “And I don't appreciate you likening me to this scumbag in any shape or form.”

“You're right, there’s nothing wrong with opinions” Steve agreed. “But I don't particularly want to listen to his, yours I don't mind so much. Your voice, unlike his, isn’t actually grating or annoying.”

Danni’s eyes widened for a moment in surprise before she frowned, watching as he moved away from the drawer and began looking around the rest of the cluttered living space.

“Are you telling me that you like the sound of my voice”? She queried, keeping her voice casual. Steve looked over to her, meeting her gaze for a moment before he shrugged at her, turning his attention back to what he was looking at.

“I’m saying that I like it more than his voice Detective” Steve responded. Danni made a sound at the back of her throat, shaking her head at the comment though she was unable to keep a small smile off her face.

“Right” She said breaking the silence which fell between them, she saw Doran looking between the two of them from the corner of her eye though she ignored him, focusing back on Steve when he spoke.

“Did you ring this in?” He asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“Yeah I have and I just like to state that I had to endure one of Captain Hookano’s long winded lectures over the fact that we only called it in after we had made the arrest rather than before like most normal cops would have done.” She commented to him.

“You don’t answer to Captain Hookano anymore Detective. You're on my task force now which makes me your boss which means that you answer strictly to me now. So the next time that Captain Hookano gives you grief over a decision which I've made then I want you to hand over the phone to me and I'll deal with him. Count that as my first official order to you.”

“Your first official order?” Danni repeated. “I thought your first official order was for me to come with you because you decided to make me into your partner, then you ordered me not to call back up when we were on the way here because you had it covered so actually I think this would be your third official order to me in the space of fifty minutes.” She remarked thoughtfully. “Oh and for the record the day I let you on a cell with Captain Hookano to discuss something, is the day I'll be looking towards the sky to see if pigs are flying because that’s the only way it will happen.” She stated firmly with a shake of her head. “I might not know you well yet but I know you well enough to know that you plus Captain Hookano will result in an explosion that we could all do without so how about for the time being you leave me to deal with the police department when we need to contact them. I know how to speak their language and at the moment you don’t. If you speak SEAL to them then you'll rile them up and trust me when I say we could do without that.”

“You can be the one to deal with them if you want to Detective but if Hookano treats you badly again then I'll be the one who will be dealing with him regardless of what you want. No one messes with you while you're a member on my team and that’s the end of it.”

Danni blinked at the commented. Steve sounded dispassionate, almost absent minded as though he wasn't paying attention to what she had actually said to him. She tried to ignore the warm feeling that his words evoked in her, pushing down on it. If she didn't then it would lead her to a place which would cause her nothing but trouble and that was something which she could seriously do without at that moment in her life.

“Right, well I'll make sure to keep that in mind the next time I speak to him.” She replied briskly. She looked around her, ignoring Doran’s dark eyes fixed on her. She could well imagine just what was going round his head right now and it was enough to send a chill down her spine.

“You make sure that you do that Detective” Steve answered, looking back towards her again. For a moment Danni allowed herself to stare back at him, meeting his eyes briefly before she made herself look away from him, focusing on the job instead.

“I spoke to Hookano and he agreed to send over CSU and some uniforms. The uniforms will probably get here sooner than CSU I think which will be handy in helping us keep the crowds back in case they decide to turn nasty.” She stated.

“The crowds?” Steve repeated with a raised eyebrow as he hunched down next to the table, his eyes focusing on the white powder which Danni had seen earlier on. “This definitely feels like cocaine and the good quality stuff as well. For this kind you would have to drop at least a grand just to get an ounce of it. It’s not the kind you'd expect to see somewhere like here.”

“Here as in on the island?” She asked, making a sound at the back of her throat when Steve nodded at her. “Well maybe it’s the sort of payment you would give someone if they did you a favour, like providing you with a weapon that couldn't be traced back to you” She remarked thoughtfully before she shot him a curious look. “I’m guessing you have some experience in identifying drugs and the quality of them?” She queried, tilting her head to the side and meeting his eyes when he looked towards her.

“You were saying something about a crowd?” He asked her instead, ignoring her question.

“There’s a crowd outside the trailer, it’s been steadily growing since we can in here; clearly the fact that we've arrested Doran is big news in this area.” She answered him. “Hence the need for us to have some back up.” She moved closer to him, lowering her voice low enough that Doran wouldn't be able to hear her before she continued speaking. “We're making the assumption Steve that Doran was here alone but we could easily be wrong. He could just as easily have a few men on call around here, ready to leap in and cause trouble if Doran was ever arrested, trouble like enticing a group of already suspicious individuals into rioting with a few choice words.”

“Maybe” Steve remarked. “I want us to have first dibs on investigating this trailer” He remarked, coming to his feet and moving towards her, coming to a stop next to her. “I want us to be able to look around here before CSU get in here. If there’s something to find here in regards to Hesse than I want to be the one to find it, I know Hesse better than anyone now that his brother is dead. I know the way his mind works and the codes he uses when it comes to informing his followers on the details of his plans. A CSU agent might overlook it thinking that it’s unimportant. Finding his coding could be the one thing we need to blow this case wide open. I'm not going to lose that chance.”

Danni tilted her head back so she could look into his face, her eyes scanning his features taking in his determined expression, the expression which told her that Steve wasn't going to back down from this. She thought briefly about arguing with him and reminding him that they couldn't risk isolating themselves by making CSU angry with them on the first day but she knew there was little point, especially when Steve was right. He was the leading expert on Hesse, is there was something there which Hesse had left, Steve would be the one to find it.

“Okay” Danni said softly. “If you want to have a proper look around the place then we're going to have to do this the right way because the minute that CSU arrive here this crime scene becomes theirs and they normally don't like people who aren't a member of their team doing their jobs for them.” She told him, reaching up and squeezing the back of her neck before she continued speaking. “Ryan Moore is the head of CSU on the island and I know that he’s on duty because Hookano said that he was going to speak to him and ask him to come down personally to work on the case. I'll speak to him when he arrives. If we're lucky he'll give us twenty minutes in here alone as long as we follow the correct procedure. I’m assuming that you do actually know what the proper procedure is? Because last time you were at a crime scene you didn't exactly do well. You moved evidence, touched things without gloves on, threatened one of the lead detective on the case, do I really need to go on?” She asked, softening her words with a half-smile.

“Oh I know all about proper procedure Danni and besides it seems from where I stand that things have worked out well for me at least.” He replied, the warm tone which she had heard earlier in his voice from earlier returning.

“Yeah? Well I'm glad it worked out well for one of us at least.” She retorted, watching as Steve’s mouth turned up into a smile. There was a moment of silence between them before Steve spoke again.

“So Ryan Moore is head of CSU then? You clearly know him well if he’s willing to do what you ask? Heads of CSU don’t break protocols for just anyone. What is he like? Good at his job?” He asked, his smile disappearing from his face as though it had ever existed in the first place.” Danni rolled her eyes at his remark.

“If Ry wasn't good at his job then he would never have been given it in the first place.” She remarked. “And for the record I know what you're doing here and I'm not playing this game. If you want to know about Ryan Moore then you're going to have to get to know him yourself.” She told him, placing her hands on her hip and fixing him with a narrow look. “Let’s get one thing straight right now before we go any further Commander. We might be partners now but it doesn't mean that I'm going to share everything about myself with you so do us both a favour and don't bother with the personal questions. If I want to share something with you than I'll share it with you.”

“You know you're kind of sensitive or perhaps you're just sensitive over Ryan Moore?” Steve asked mildly. Danni opened her mouth to speak but closed it, twisting her head round and looking towards the door, a slight smile coming to her mouth when she heard the familiar sound of sirens from outside, indicating that their back up and just arrived.

“Well it’s better late than never” She muttered to herself before she raised her voice to its usual level. “That would be CSU and the uniformed officers we requested.” She commented, turning back to Steve and jabbing her index finger into his chest. “Don’t think this conversation about my privacy is over buddy. I've still got more to say to you about this topic” She told him before she moved past him and headed over to the chair that Doran was sitting on. She came to his side and grabbed his left arm, using the grip to pull him to his feet. Doran came to his feet, tilting his head and glaring at her. For a moment she considered leaving the gag in but she knew she couldn’t. Instead she went up on her tiptoes and untied the knot at the back, pulling the material out and threw it over to Steve who automatically reached out for it, catching it in one hand.

“I’m going to kill the fucking pair of you and I’m going to make sure that I pay extra attention to you bitch. I’m going to take my time with you and make it as slow and painful as I can. You'll be screaming for me to grant you death by the time I'm done with you Detective and I’ll make your boyfriend over there watch everything I do to you as well.” Doran threatened her, nodded his head towards Steve to indicate exactly who he meant.

“You know that speech you gave us would have been a whole lot more impressive if you weren't currently shitting yourself over what is about to happen to you. You can stand there and threaten all you want to buddy but it’s not going to do you any good because you don’t seem to grasp that you're ours now. The only thing that you now have to look forward to in life is a life in prison and that’s only when the Commander here is finished with you. You still have that experience to look forward to.” She pointed out, shifting him round so he could see Steve “I mean I wouldn't want to be left in a room with him when he wants answers over something, especially as it would just be you and him alone in that room. There would be no cameras, no support nothing. I won't be there, I might just take that time to go and get myself a coffee rather than keep him in line. To be honest I don't particularly feel like keeping him in line when it comes to you. You should remember that.” She remarked mildly as she pulled him across the room and out of the trailer into the bright sunlight where two uniforms stood ready to take him off of her hands. “Book him please.” She said, raising her voice so she could be heard over the stream of curses which were pouring from Doran’s mouth when he saw all the people watching them. Each one of them sounding more desperate than the last one.

“Where do you want us to take him for questioning Detective? The holding cell back at the station?” The younger of the two men asked her as he gripped one of Doran’s arms.

“Take him to the holding cells at the Aliiolani Hale” Steve answered for her, stepping out of the trailer and coming to a stop next to her. “That’s where our team headquarters is going to be based.” He explained.

“Right” The man replied, sharing a quick look with his partner before they turned and dragged the swearing Doran towards the nearest police squad car. Danni watched them for a moment before she turned back to Steve.

“The Aliiolani Hale? Is that the place with the large statue outside of it?” She asked curiously. Steve glanced at her and nodded. She made a pleased sound. “You know that’s actually a nice place, I've driven past it with Gracie when we've been our way to Meka’s house.” She told him watching as he nodded again.

“If you're impressed about the way the outside of the place looks wait until you see the inside of it, especially your own office.” He remarked, an undercurrent of smugness to his voice which she picked up on. She ignored it, turning to look at him, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

“Wait are you telling me that I'm going to have my own office in the headquarters?” She asked, impressed despite herself. She had, had a small office back at the precinct in New Jersey but that had been in, once she had moved to Hawaii that small luxury had been gone. She had missed the privacy that having that small space of her own had granted her. It had been just a simple place she could turn into her own, a place which allowed her to escape just to catch her breathe or gather her thoughts. The thought that she was going to have one again made her happier than she had thought possible.

Steve nodded at her, his eyes moving to her briefly before he turned his gaze back to the crowd, taking in the details of the surrounding area much like Danni had done earlier.

“Yeah you do, it’s a corner office with a nice view. At least that what Andrew, the Governor’s personal assistant informing me when he rang to confirm the details with me earlier about the place. You see Danni, it’s not going to be that terrible being my partner. At least you get an office for your trouble” He said, looking at her, the same half smile which she had seen throughout the day coming back to his face. It was a surprisingly warm, friendly smile and one he hadn’t used on anyone else as far as she had seen.

“Well that still remains to be seen Steve doesn't it.” She answered him, tilting her head to the side. “But” She went on to say. “I've got to admit that having my own corner office with a view does sound like quite the perk.” A loud beeping sound caught her attention and she turned towards it. Her eyes landing on the large familiar large, navy blue van which pulled up outside the fencing. She watched as the back door were flung open and members of one of the responder CSU teams spilled out, some of them taking details of the scene while the other produced their equipment from the back, She suddenly smiled when her gaze landed on the tall, white male in his early thirties who was climbing out of passenger seat. “It looks like Ryan has arrived” she said, nodding towards the van. “I'll go and have a talk with him, the outside of the trailer is lost to us but he might let us inside for a bit. Stay here while I talk to him and please try not to throw your weight around just because we have jurisdiction over things. We need to keep these guys on our side and I think we've had more than enough drama for one day don't you?”

“Your trust in me is overwhelming Danni” Steve replied dryly, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing her with a stern look. Danni smiled at him before she turned made her ways down the steps, heading over to the ban and the man who was clearly in charge.

Ryan Moore had been on the island for two years, he had come from Boston originally but he had been wooed to Hawaii by the offer of a big fat Wage increase and the promise of working in constant sunshine and having the chance to go surfing every day. Danni had met him at one of hers and Meka’s crime scenes four month previously, they had struck a conversation up and somehow become fast friends, a feeling which deepened every time they met. They had bonded over the fact that they were both Ha’oles living on an island which made its feeling on Ha’oles incredibly clear. It hadn't taken much time for them to realise how much they had in common and enjoyed each other’s company.

She watched as Ryan looked around him, his blue eyes moving over the crime scene with a clinical look which disappeared the moment he saw Danni approaching him.

“Hey Jersey” He called out, taking a step towards her. “You know I should have known that you would somehow be involved in all of this. Captain Hookano rang me literally foaming at the mouth and there’s only one detective I know who can get him that riled up just by speaking to him and I'm looking at her right now.”

“Boston I just like to state for the record how hurt I am that you would think that I'm somehow involved with the Captain being in a foul mood especially considering he’s pretty much in a foul mood on a daily basis” She remarked, placing her hand over her heart and feigning a hurt look. “You of all people should know that I'm not responsible for much which goes on in that bulpen because that would mean that the other Detectives would have to talk to me and include me in things and we both know that, that isn’t about to happen anytime soon. We're more likely to see pigs fly then that.” She remarked dryly, dropping her hand.

Ryan moved his head side to side, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“That’s a strong argument in your defence and I'm guessing knowing what I know, that maybe you're right. You aren't responsible entirely for Captain Hookano’s foul moods but even you've got to admit that you're responsible for at least eighty percent of it.” He responded as he reached up with his hand and ran it through his thick, dark hair.

“I suppose eighty percent is about right” She agreed with a smile at him which he returned before he changed the subject.

“So I heard through the grapevine that you’ve been stolen from your old department and moved instead to the brand new Governor task force which has erupted out of nowhere? I also heard that there’s quite a lot of Detectives who are more than a little pissed off by your promotion.” He commented, his eyes thoughtful.

Danni shrugged her shoulders at him before she responded.

“You would have thought that they would have been more thankful that I was gone from their precious department, now that I'm gone, it can go back to the way it was before I arrived on the scene. Isn't that what they've wanted since the day I stepped through the door?” She queried.

“I don't think they wanted it to happen quite this way, you know since you were promoted and they weren’t. It’s not a surprise though, anyone with half a brain who has seen you on the job knows that you deserve this job more than any of them and I can say that with a level of authority because I'm one of the poor men who have had to work with each and every one of them.” Ryan remarked with a grin before he glanced over the top of her head towards the trailer. “I'm guessing that is the famous Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett standing on the steps?” He asked, his eyes flickering down to hers with a questioning look.

Danni twisted her head around, following his gaze, frowning slightly. Steve was standing exactly where Ryan had said, speaking to two uniformed policemen, both, from what she could tell, wearing identical expression of annoyance and admiration mingled into one. It was a look which Danni could completely understand. Steve had his usual expressionless expression on his face, his eyes crossed over his chest, nodding every so often to whatever it was the police were saying to him. His eyes though were fixed on Danni and Ryan, watching their every move intently.

“I need a favour from you Boston” Danni said, turning back to face Ryan who was using sign language to say something to one of the members of his team, she waited quietly until he was finished.

“Really Jersey” He said, turning back to her with a raised eyebrow. “Another favour? Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you asked me for a favour? These are all beginning to add up.” He stated with a sigh, his eyes twinkling at her.

“It’s not that kind of favour this time Boston” Danni responded, unable to keep the smile from her face.

“Shame” He responded “What do you need?” He pressed curiously.

“I need you to let me and Steve into Doran trailer for a bit before you and the others head in there, we don't need too long, maybe twenty minutes or so. You know I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important.” She said, watching as his face became serious, slipping effortlessly back into the same expression she had seen countless of times on his face when their paths had crossed at a crime scene.

“You want twenty minutes in his trailer” Ryan repeated, searching her face with a frown as he continued speaking. “Why do you need that time? I don’t need to tell you of all people what the protocol is when it comes to a crime scene. As soon as CSU arrive it becomes ours and remains ours until either I or one of my senior agents releases it back to the lead detective in the case. This whole scene” He stated, waving his hand around him. “Is officially mine now and I've got a job to do just like you have a job to do.”

“I know it is Boston and that’s why I'm asking you. There is a lot of evidence in there and I can tell that you're gunning in there but we really need that twenty minutes. You know, we haven't even secured the area yet, it would be dangerous for me to let you and your team in there without checking first for any stray people. So maybe just consider this as me and Steve securing the area for you and just taking say twenty minutes to do it properly.” She remarked hopefully as she smiled.

He breathed out, rolling his eyes before he gave her a long look.

“Really, that’s how you're playing this?” He asked her, sounding amused. He glanced back towards the trailer before he spoke. “How about you sweeten the deal slightly and I'll consider it”

“Well I know that Commander McGarrett would appreciate it if you agreed to let us in. He is the new leader of the Governor’s task force. Having someone in his position owing you a favour which you can cash in at a later date wouldn’t be a bad thing to have.” Danni said diplomatically.

“You're right” He agreed. “Having something like that would be handy but it’s not quite enough” He said, a look coming to his eyes which told Danni that he was bringing the game between them to an end so he could crack on with his job. She glanced over her shoulder at Steve, catching his impatient look at her before she spoke, looking back at Ryan.

“What if I invited you to the beach on Saturday followed by a BBQ at Meka’s house in the evening? Would you consider letting us in then?” She asked. Ryan blinked, tilting his head to the side, looking surprised by her suggestion.

“You really want to get into that trailer don’t you” He remarked, looking back at the trailer thoughtfully before he sighed. “Fine, you win, you've got twenty minutes and I do mean twenty so go and secure the trailer Jersey.”

“Thank you Boston” She said, moving past him to the back of the CSU van, reaching in and extracting two fresh pairs of adhesive gloves from the box they had. She smiled at the others who simply returned her smile, too used to seeing her getting equipment from their van to question it. “I owe you for this” she commented, glancing to the side as Ryan joined her.

“Yeah you do Jersey, we'll add it to the growing tab” He replied warmly. “Now stop wasting your time and get in there.” He told her. Danni smiled at him, turning and headed away from the van and back towards the trailer. She could hear Ryan behind her, ordering his team to start looking at the perimeter of the trailer to see whether there was anything outside which could be bagged for evidence.

She climbed up the steps, moving round the two policeman and twisting so she was facing them, a smile on her face. She ignored the fact they were glaring at Steve and spoke.

“We have twenty minutes in the trailer Steve” She announced brightly, looking towards him with a smile as she held out the gloves to him, waiting until he reached out and took them from her. “Put these on and let’s go” She told him before she looked back at the policemen. “Hello Brett, hello Kana, how are you both?” She asked pleasantly, waiting until they answered her before she continued speaking. “Would you mind providing some cover for the CSU team over there? They're going to start with the perimeter so they could use some uniform presence just in case something goes wrong with the crowd.”

“That’s not a problem Detective Williams” Kana, the elder of the two policemen told her with a nod.

“Thank you” She responded, turning and heading into the trailer, pulling her gloves on at the same time. She looked around the trailer again before she looked at Steve as he followed her in. “So what exactly are we looking for?” She questioned.

“Anything which might link him to Hesse” He replied. “Papers, pictures, no matter how insignificant it might seem. Hesse has a code he uses, like hieroglyphics, anything which might look like doodles or squiggles than bag it.” He ordered, Danni raised an eyebrow at the tone he used but brushed it off, simply nodding.

“Okay I'm on it” She answered. “If there is anything to find in this place then we will find it” She promised him, turning and heading through the trailer to the small section of it which appeared to be where Doran had slept.

The first thing she saw was an used needle left on the bedside table though whether it belonged to Doran or to the blond girl who had stormed out of the place just before they arrived was beyond her ability to tell. They would need to do a test on it to determine that. The sheet were still rumpled clearly from a night of vigorous sex, dirty clothes and half crushed cans of beers were thrown everywhere. Danni stepped over the biggest pile and headed over to the corner where a small table had been shoved. She pushed the porn magazines out of the way and grabbed the stack of paperwork from beneath it. She flicked through the pages. Nothing stood out to her, just some bills, others with lists of car parts and peoples’ names but none of them that Victor Hesse’s name on them. She breathed out, she couldn't see anything which came close to what Steve had described to her.

She put the papers back down and looked around her again, her eyes lingering on the weapons which were spread out everywhere before she turned to look at the wardrobe. She moved towards it and opened the doors, wrinkling her nose at the smell, she leaned in, moving the flung in clothes around but there were no paperwork in there that she could see, just more guns and what looked like another stash of drugs and blank covered DVDs. She frowned at them before she stepped back closing the door again.

They had more than enough evidence to put Doran away for his crimes but finding his link to Victor Hesse was going to prove harder. If they didn’t find a paper trail or something similar to show that the weapon changed hands then Doran could easily say that he had never seen the murder weapon before or if he did admit to it then he could say that it had been stolen from his trailer.

It was beginning to look as though their only option would be to get a confession from Doran and that was something which Danni already knew from their short encounter with him, wouldn't be easy to gain.

“Danni!”

Danni moved instantly, hurrying out of the bedroom and into the living room, her eyes falling on Steve instantly. He was standing by a partially concealed door which had been hidden behind a bookcase, she could see from where she was that the door was closed and padlocked. She looked back at Steve, her eyes focusing on his hand where he had his gun, the tip pointing to the padlock.

Danni took in the scene in a second before she nodded at Steve, lifting the bottom of her dress up slightly and slipping her loaded gun out of her thigh holster. She brought it up, pointing it at the door before she moved to the other side to where Steve was so she could give him maximum coverage.

“Go on” she said, her eyes flickering from the closed door to look at Steve. “I've got you covered” She waited for Steve to move but he remained still for a moment, staring at her with a look of surprise in his eyes as though she had startled him in some way. “What is it Steve?” She asked him, her voice barely above a murmur “Is there a bomb behind the door?” She demanded, a wave of adrenaline hitting her as she mentally tried to figure out the distance between them and the door and whether they could make it in time.

“There’s no bomb Danni” He answered her calmly. Danni felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders before she looked at him with a questioning look on her face “I’m just surprised that you keep one of your guns in a thigh holster. Do you always keep it there?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow. Danni blinked at him, wondering for a moment whether she had misheard him before her eyes narrowed.

“Are you being serious right now?” She demanded, jabbing her gun towards the door. “There could be anything behind that door and you choose this time to ask me about where I keep my gun?” She shook her head, raising her eyes to the ceiling, praying for strength before she looked back at him. “You are actually unbelievable. Yes Steven, when I wear a skirt or a dress then I tend to keep a second gun in a thigh holster because it means I can keep it in reach at all times. If I had known that I was going to meet you today and that we were going to arrest a wanted arms dealer then I would probably have worn a pair of jeans or something” She told him. “Now can we please focus on the reason why we're here in the first place?”

“Of course Danni” Steve replied with a shrug before he turned back to the door. “Personally I like your dress. It’s cute.”

“Carry on talking and I will shoot you myself.” She promised him, cursing in her head as she felt her cheeks redden. She glanced at Steve when he looked at her over his shoulder, holding up three fingers on his hand. He waited until she nodded before he lowered his fingers one at a time, turning back just as he squeezed the trigger, the bullet hitting the lock, loosening it. Steve took a step forward, ripped the padlock off and throwing it to the side before he pulled the door open.

She watched as his body tensed, he remained still for a split second before he slowly hunched down, his arms spread to the side of him as though he was trying to make himself appear less intimidating. Danni frowned at his reaction, moving closer to him. She angled herself so she was still covered by the wall but could look into the room. Steve was speaking now, saying someone to whoever it was in a language which sounded suspiciously like mandarin to her.

Danni turned from Steve and looked into the small room, her eyes widening in horror when she caught sight of the small frightened girl within. She was thin, her skin stretched tightly across her bones indicating that she was suffering from malnutrition for a while. She was young, no older than seventeen though Danni was positive that she was younger than that. Her thin wrists had been bound together and were cuffed to the rusty pipe to the side of her, forcing her arms above her head in an uncomfortable position. The skin had been rubbed raw where she had obviously struggled against the handcuffs. Her blue dress was filthy and torn, barely covering her and there was a wild terrified look on her dark eyes, her breathing harsh, clearly struggling to breathe properly through her terror. Danni had seen a lot of things since she had started wearing a badge but she had never seen someone quite so petrified as this girl.

She moved forward, coming to a stop next to Steve, meeting the girl’s eyes when they flickered to her, focusing on her intently with an almost desperate look. Danni knelt next to Steve, keeping the girl’s eyes, hoping that the sight of her would help calm the girl before she went into a full blown panic attack.

“Steve?” Danni said, keeping her voice soft and calm, trying to hide her shock. Out of everything which she expected to find in Doran’s trailer, this had not been one of them.

“Well, it looks like we've got another charge to add to the ever growing list Danni” Steve remarked softly. “The bastard is into human trafficking trade as well, just like Hesse is. God knows how many girls have made their way through this door and into this cupboard.”

“That complete and utter son of a bitch” Danni hissed, her voice shaking as she forced herself to her feet, using Steve’s shoulder to boost herself up. “I'll go and get an EMT” She told him before she turned and hurried across the cluttered room, stepping into the fresh air.

She bent over briefly, resting her hands against her thighs before she forced herself to stand up straight one thought in her mind.

She would make Doran pay for this is it was the last thing she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading


	8. A touch of concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danni and Meka have a talk with each other before she and Steve head back to headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably warn you that my chapter are normally long… perhaps even extremely long and that some of them are much more character based than some of the other though will be some which are action based.
> 
> I like the thought of exploring Danni and her relationship with other people so yeah... here we go!

_________________________________  
23rd September 2010  
Darlington Trailer Park  
Laiu  
Honolulu  
Hawaii  
_________________________________

Danni took the porch steps two at a time, landing at the bottom of them without breaking her stride as her eyes swept around the crime scene searching for an unoccupied police officer. Her gaze stopped on one standing nearby then perimeter, he was watching the crowd, an intent look on his face but it was a job which could do without him for a while. She moved towards him, wracking her brain for his name. He turned and looked towards her, his light brown eyes watching her approach with a vague look of interest as she stopped beside him.

“Officer Kahale, I need you to call dispatch and get us some EMT, we've got a person of interest who requires medical aid.” She told him, his eyes dropped down to the Detective badge she wore around her neck before he looked back at her face and nodded.

“You got it Detective Williams, I'll call them now and let you know their ETA” He agreed, turning from her and heading over to one of the empty police cars parked nearby the trailer. She watched as he reached into the driver’s side and pulled out a radio, speaking into it before she turned away, staring blinding at the growing crowd, her thoughts fixed on the girl from inside. God only knew what she must have endured, she must have been terrified. She was only a young girl and she had been taken away from everything which she had known and transported to a strange island where she didn't speak the language. As if that wasn't enough for her to deal with, she had been taken away from the people who she had probably travelled with, people who had cared for her, and instead given to a monster like Doran.

A monster who clearly hated women with a passion and didn't care who knew about it.

If he could treat a decorated Detective like Danni as though she was somehow inferior to him than god only knew how he would treat a girl who essentially had no one nearby to care for her. A girl who no one had even noticed was missing in the first place or if they had, had made no effort to report it to the authorities.

Was the girl a first for Doran or had she simply been one in a long line of victims who had spent their time chained to the pipe like a bunch of animals.

Steve had mentioned that the Hesse brothers had been involved in human trafficking and it appeared that Doran was in that line of business as well which could be the very thing which provided the link that she and Steve had been looking for to connect the two of them together. If they were in the same line of business then it would make sense for Hesse to approach Doran for the gun.

“Detective Williams, ETA on the EMTs is currently ten minutes” Officer Kahale called out to her attracting her attention for a moment. She smiled at him, lifting her hand in acknowledgement before she sighed and looked around her again. She wished that Doran was still at the crime scene so she could break her own rule of not striking a suspect and instead punch the fucker round the face as hard as she could, hopefully breaking his nose in the process. It would be nothing more than what he deserved. She should have stepped back and let Steve take the lead, if there was anyone who could have made Doran suffer and make him wish that he had never been born then it was her new partner. However the moment had passed now and Doran was safely on his way to their interrogation room to wait for their returned.

Danni closed her eyes briefly as a wave of anger hit her, she let it wash over her before it resided, only then did she open her eyes, tilting her head down and searching through her bag until she found what she was looking for. She took out her cell phone, glancing at the screen noticing that she had three text messages, before she pressed down on the number five button. She brought the handset to her ear and waited for a moment before the call was answered by a familiar female voice, tinged heavily with a South African accent.

“Hello, you've reached the Honolulu police Department, how may I direct your call today?”

“Lily? Hey it’s Detective Danni Williams. Could you patch me through to Lieutenant Joe Kalikow please? I'm not sure which squad card he’s currently in but I do know he’s on his way to the Aliiolani Hale building with a suspect in tow.”

“Sure, let me just see what car he was assigned with today and then I'll patch you through to him on his radio frequency.” Lily responded, her professional tone dispersing as she continued speaking causing Danni to smile. “”So we've heard about your promotion to the Governor’s new taskforce Danni-girl! Good job getting it from under those jackasses noses at HPD. You were far too good to be trapped there with them” Lily commented causing Danni to laugh lowly.

“Is there anything you don't hear from there?” Danni asked, her own professional tone going. She and Lily had been friends since her first day when Meka had introduced them, since then the friendship had grown to include several girl nights out which Danni had been in desperate need of.

“I'm pretty sure the answer to that is no” Lily said thoughtfully. “We get told everything by everyone even notoriously private people like you tend to let some secrets loose when you get a cocktail or two in you” Danni rolled her eyes.

“I'll remember that the next time we go drinking.” She said dryly. “I'm just hoping that this new job is better than my old one and it’s not a case of jumping out of the fire and straight into the frying pan.” Danni responded as she twisted round and began making her way back towards Doran’s trailer.

“You've got to think positively Danni girl. I’m going to put your name down for my yoga class, it’s every Wednesday and the classes restart in two weeks’ time. You need to do something to get rid of your tension and since you're not currently having sex with anyone that I know this would be the next best thing.”

“Lily” Danni said, a half amused, half warning tone coming to her voice. “Have you found out where the Lieutenant is?”

“Yeah I have, he’s in squad car thirty six and he knows you want to talk to him so I'll put you through in just a moment. I’ll call you this evening to arrange some celebratory drinks for you with the girls, this promotion isn’t something we can just ignore. I'm on duty until five today so I might speak to you later, congrats again Danni girl” Lily stated.

“Thanks Lily” Danni remarked absently, looking through the door and watching as Steve helped the injured girl gently to her feet. He glanced around him before he reached out and grabbed a relatively clean blanket from the back of a nearby chair, wrapping it around the girl who automatically reached up clutching it closely to her as though it was a barrier between her and the world at large. It was a sight which made Danni’s heart ache for her. She blinked looking back towards Steve surprised to see him watching her carefully, his eyes searching her face before they locked onto her eyes and held her gaze. She lifted her hand up to him, holding up all her fingers to indicate that the EMTs were five minutes away before a clicking sound caught her attention, a sound which was followed by a vaguely familiar male voice.

“Detective Williams? This is Lieutenant Kalikow speaking, how can I help you?” Kalikow asked her before he continued speaking. “If you want an ETA on our arrival at the Aliiolani Hale then we're about five minutes out from it at the moment.”

“That’s good to know” Danni responded. “Has there been any problems with him so far?” She queried as she turned away from Steve and headed across the uneven ground, past the crowds to where she had parked her car earlier. It was close enough that she could see everything going on.

“We've had no problems yet Detective. Officer Castro has been checking constantly to see if we've had any tails on us but there’s been nothing. The only problem we've experienced so far is the prisoner’s ability to continuously speak without stopping for breath, it would almost be impressive if it wasn't quite so annoying.” Kalikow replied with a sigh, a hint of annoyance flavouring his tone.

“We had that problem as well” Danni said with a shake of her head. “I need you and Officer Castro to do me a favour Lieutenant once you get to the Aliiolani Hale. I can remember Detective Hanamoa telling me one time that there were interview rooms in the building which hadn’t been fitted with windows. Is that correct?” She asked him curiously.

“That’s right Detective. They used to have them from the old days, I haven't heard of them being updated.” He answered, sounding thoughtful as though he had a suspicion on where she was going with this line of questioning.

“That’s good to know. I need you to place Doran into one of those rooms when you arrive and leave him in there alone, there will be no need for you or Officer Castro to remain in the room with him. I want you to leave him in there and dim the light down so he’s nearly in darkness and turn the air con right up as well. Don’t give him any water or anything like that. I want him to be completely off balance by the time the Commander and myself arrive.” She told them, her voice serious and calm.

She raised an eyebrow when she heard the sound of a distant surprised whistle which she assumed came from Joe’s partner.

“We can do that Detective” Kalikow agreed before he lowered his voice. “This guy must have done something pretty bad to piss you off so much” He commented.

“That guy as you put it had a girl about the age of fifteen, locked up in a cupboard and chained up with a dog so you're right Lieutenant he has managed to piss me off” She stated bluntly. There was a moment’s silence before Kalikow spoke again, all the previous amusement and ease gone from his voice leaving anger in its place.

“Understood Detective, we'll make sure that everything you ask for is done. We've got your back in this.” He told her, causing her to smile.

“Thank you Kalikow” She responded. “We should be leaving the crime scene within the next twenty minutes or so, so if you and Officer Castro could stay with him outside the door until we get there then I would appreciate it.”

“Understood Detective,”

“Thanks” She responded as she hung the phone up, staring down at it for a moment before she nodded, slipping it back into her bag. She stopped next to her car, leaning forward and resting her arms on top of the rood allowing it to support her weight as she focused her attention on her anger trying to rein it in. She had to remain focused and professional and not allow the case to suck her in any more than it had already done. It was difficult though with thoughts of Grace running through her head. A daughter she suddenly felt a strong desire to talk to or see just so she could reassure herself that her daughter was exactly where she was meant to be. She ignored the impulse to call her though knowing that if she did then she would simply end up with a freaked out child which was the last thing she wanted.

Danni straightened, turning so she was facing the crime scene again, her eyes moving over everybody working as she leaned her back against the side of the car and bit down on her lower lip, using the sharp flash of pain to focus her. She looked towards one of the police cars watching as the Chinese girl from inside was gently helped into the back by two female police officers. Danni stood straight, catching the girl’s gaze when her eyes looked around her frantically, and gave the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. It must have helped a bit as the girl stopped struggling so much and allowed herself to be placed in the car. Danni waited until the door was closed and the officers climbed in the front before she looked away continuing her search for a sign of her new partner.

She couldn't see him milling around the grounds which indicated to her that he had returned to the trailer to search it, no doubt making the most out of the time they had remaining in there. She knew she should head over there to help him but she stopped herself. If she went in there she would only distract him and get in his way. It was better to let him do this part himself.

“You know, I've seen that look on your face plenty of time before hoaloha and it’s never ended well for the person who you were thinking about at the time so tell me, who exactly has managed to put your ‘I’m going to kick someone’s ass’ look on your face this time? Captain Hookano? Commander McGarrett? The McGarrett case? Doran? The Crowd? Because if it is the crowd and this is your new way of trying to scare them then you should know that it definitely appears to be working.”

Danni blinked at the familiar voice. She turned her head to the side, raising her eyebrow as Meka walked towards her with a wide grin on his face.

“I think you'll find you missed ex-partner from you list of potential suspects?” Danni informed him dryly.

“Me?” Meka remarked with a look of interest. “What exactly did I do to deserve an ass kicking bearing in mind that I haven't been around much today?”

“Well wearing that shirt is an ass kickable offence my friend. I mean who would put bright red and orange together without a darker colour to break it all up? Your shirt should come with a health warning for eye damage and blindness. I'm surprised that Amy even allowed you out of the house wearing it. I would have thought she would have burnt it the first opportunity she got. Or is this one of the shirts which you keep in your locker at work for that very reason because I'm not above telling her about that secret stash Meka” She remarked, her mouth curling up into a slight smile.

Meka stared at her for a moment before he laughed with a shake of his head.

“This” He said, waving his hand down to indicate his shirt. “Is how people dress here in Hawaii Danni-girl. A shirt like this is considered the height of fashion. We don't tend to dress all funny like you do. I mean someone wearing a dress while working for the police department is almost unheard of. Who actually does that?” He asked her with a challenging look.

“I do, and you know who else wears things like this Meka? Professionals” Danni responded blandly. “If you went into any police department on the mainland you would realise pretty quickly that there’s a dress code. Women dress smartly and the majority of the male Detectives on the force where smart trousers, shirts and ties. I’d like to also take this moment to point out to you that the weather here is like a hundred degrees making wearing a dress like the one I'm wearing perfect to wear.” She stated, her mouth curling into a half smile.

“There is no way that wearing a dress and heels is suitable when you're running around the island taking out scumbags like Doran.” He pointed out. “If you're on this task force now then you might have to hang up your skirt and dress collection for good and get used to wearing flat shoes.”

“Over my dead body” Danni responded instantly. “I'll have you know that there is not one pair of shoes which are in my wardrobe which I cannot sprint in if I need to.”

“Well that’s good news for you then” Meka replied, raising his eyebrow before he grinned. “And tell me Danni-girl, does McGarrett know that you keep one of your weapons in a thigh holster when you wear a dress or is that a secret which he still has to find out."

“You're getting well too much pleasure out of this Meka” Danni remarked with a roll of her eyes before she tilted her head back so she could catch his gaze. “Yes he knows about it, he’s already seen it.” She commented, dropping her eyes as her mind brought up a picture of Steve’s surprised expression, wherever he had thought she had her gun it certainly hadn't been where she did.

“And does he know about the knife yet or is that a secret you've managed to hold on to?” Meka persisted, his grin widening.

“McGarrett doesn't know about the knife and I have no intention of him finding out about it either so I suggest you keep it between us unless you want me to speak to Amy and tell her exactly what you've been doing with the healthy lunches she’s been making you on a daily basis. Healthy lunches which you either give to me or throw in the bin before you head out and pick yourself up something greasy and unhealthy.” Danni commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Ouch! Now that’s what we call a low blow hoaloha.” He answered with a wince as he held his hands up in front of him as though warding off a hit. “Have no fear, all of your many secrets that I know of are safe with me. The same as always Danni” He commented, dropping his hands and nudging her lightly with his elbow. Danni nodded her head, smiling briefly at him before she turned from him to focus on Doran’s trailer. Her eyes narrowing slightly as she noticed the small group of CSU agents who were gathering just in front of the steps leading up to the trailer. A group which told her that their twenty minutes was coming to an end

“Besides Meka, when I work up and dressed this morning I thought I would be spending the day rereading the McGarrett file in the office with a visit to his house to break up the time. I never expected to end up here,” She commented thoughtfully as she waved her hand around her to indicate the crowded area.

“I suppose that’s true” Meka agreed, leaning against the side of the car beside her. They were quiet for a moment, the silence comfortable in its familiarity before Danni shifted with a sigh and spoke, sounding weary.

“So what brings you way out here then?” She asked him, her eyes flickering towards him again before she looked away. “It can't be because you miss me because it’s been barely two hours since the captain broke the news about us not being partners anymore.”

“Naw I'm not missing you hoaloha, I've barely noticed you were gone, I think I was too busy enjoying the peace and quiet on the way over here. I was actually able to listen to some music without having you turning it off because you didn't like the song or because you wanted to rant about something… I’m sorry I mean give your valid opinion about something.” He said with a laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It was actually kind of nice.” He added thoughtfully before he winked at her.

Danni rolled her eyes, too used to Meka’s sense of humour to be offended by what he said.

“I forgot what a riot you can be Meka, my sides are literally splitting from trying to contain my laughter.” Danni said flatly with a shake of her head.

“Why thank you very much Danni, it’s always good to be appreciated.” He responded, flashing her another smile before he relented. “I’m down here because good old Captain Hookano sent me down here to supervise as he calls it. He’s not about to sit back and let your new partner take all the credit for the raid of the year. News going around the bulpen is that the Captain has decided it’s time he went for promotion and once he sets his mind on something that’s it.” Meka told her causing Danni to nod, she had come up against Captain Hookano’s bull headed stubbornness on more than one occasion.

“I see” She said lightly.

“Hey it’s not like you don’t know how he works. He thinks that is he sends a Detective here than he can tell people that this was a joint operation and the people on high will be impressed by that. Doran is on the HPD most wanted list after all. He came in and asked for a volunteer and luckily for you I got in first. I thought there would be a good chance that you would still be here working the scene”

“And if I hadn't of been?” Danni queried looking towards him in time to see him shrug at her.

“Then at least it would mean that I was out of the office and all the political bullshit that happens in there.” He stated. Danni wrinkled her nose at the comment and nodded again.

“That bullpen does have a lot of politics” She remarked with a shake of her head. “The fact that the Captain wants his finger in this pie doesn't surprise me in the least. He'll probably end up being credited for the whole raid. Steve doesn't strike me as the kind of man who cares about medals and glory and everything which happens in the aftermath of a case. I think he only cares about getting the results he wants in the first place. He probably won't even notice if the Captain gets rewarded for this. All he cares about is finding Victor Hesse and taking him down. Nothing else concerns him now other than that. Whatever it takes to put Hesse behind bars is what he'll do. Which mean I'll be the one dealing with all the politics for us”

“You hate politics” Meka responded in surprise.

“Yeah I do” She agreed. “But I'm also not going to sit back and let another team who had nothing to do with mine and Steve’s decision take the credit for what we did. Steve might have tunnel vision but I don’t. I can see the big picture Meka.” Danni stated firmly.

There was a moment’s silence as though Meka was considering what she had said before he spoke, his voice deliberately casual in a way which placed Danni instantly on guard. She had heard Meka use that tone and it was always before he brought up a topic which he knew would set her off in some fashion.

“Danni are you sure that McGarrett wants to put Hesse behind bars. He could just as easily want to put him six feet under in the ground. The man killed his father after all. An eye for an eye and all that.”

“So what if he does want that? I can't blame him for having that reaction when you consider everything which Hesse has done to him” Danni responded instantly, her gaze focusing on the trailer as Ryan approached the group of CSU agents outside of it with an intent look on his face.

“Danni-” Meka began to say, stopping when Danni cut over him, her voice quiet and intense.

“Victor Hesse shot Steve’s father in the face at point blank range while Steve listened in over the phone unable to do a damn thing about it. We both attended the autopsy that Doctor Jacobs did and we both read her report which highlighted in great detail all the torture that Hesse inflicted on John McGarrett, torture he did even before he made that call to Steve. If Steve had read our files than he had read that report and he knows it all, everything we know, he knows. This whole situation” she stated, waving her hand around her to indicate everything. “Must be his worst nightmare brought to life. The amount of damage that one phone call has inflicted on him doesn't even bear thinking about, probably even he doesn't know the full extent of it and won't until this mission is over. All those years of training he did, all those years as a SEAL serving his country mean nothing because when push came to shove he was helpless to help one of the only people he would have done anything to save.” Danni sighed looking back at her ex-partner ignoring the look of surprise in his dark eyes. “Besides” She went on thoughtfully. “If a man like Victor Hesse dies then who would mourn him? Perhaps a man like Victor Hesse is better off dead instead of behind bars where he can still influence people who are willing to do his bidding.”

“Danni you're a cop, we follow the letter of the law even if we don't always agree with it and the outcome of it. If McGarrett goes to shoot Hesse and it’s not in self-defence then you need to stop him unless you want your new partner to be arrested and convicted of murder before he is thrown into a correctional facility.”

“I know Meka” Danni answered, reaching up and rubbing tiredly at the back of her neck. “All I'm saying is that I understand how he feels you know? I mean what if it was you or me in the same situation and instead of a father it was Amy or Billy or Amy who had been tortured and murdered? Are you honestly telling me that you wouldn't tear this island down searching for the man who took away someone you loved? Wouldn't you want him to suffer some of the pain which you were suffering because I've got to be honest with you, I know that I would, cop or not.”

“I would too but it wasn't our families Danni. You've got to be careful and make sure that your empathy and sympathy doesn't send you down a path which you can’t return from.” Meka told her seriously, concern in his voice. “A man on a mission isn't always a good thing especially if he’s got tunnel vision like you say he does. People, innocent people, can be hurt in the crossfire and I don't want you to be one of those people Danni. You have a young daughter who needs you around and who loves you with every inch of her big heart she inherited from you, it would destroy her if something happened to you. You Danielle, are not a person who can afford to take stupid unneeded risks and for the record, going into Fred Doran’s gun filled trailer without any form of backup is what most people, myself included, would consider a stupid risk. I know you consider it a stupid risk as well, don’t think I can’t read what is happening between that thoughtful mask you wear, I know you Danni and this” he said with a sweep of his arm. “Wouldn't have been your idea.”

“Alright I get it okay” Danni said with a sigh, reaching out and placing her hand on Meka’s bare forearm and squeezing down on it. “I appreciate your concern for me Meka I really do but I know what I'm doing here.” She assured him. “I didn't ask to be put on this task force but now I’m here and that’s it. Steve wanted to come out here and look into Doran because of the weapon and so we're here, just following up a lead like you and I would have. Like I said he’s driven but that’s not a bad thing in my eyes when you're dealing with a case like the one we are on. I would rather have a partner who is willing to do whatever it takes to get things done than one who isn’t.” She commented crossing her arms again before she continued to speak “I don't think you're giving him the credit which he deserves either Meka. Steve was a navy SEAL for six years, their main motto is ‘never leave a man behind’ driven or not Steve as my back and I-” She frowned watching as the man in question exited the trailer, his eyes sweeping the area before they landed on her, lingering as though he was checking to see she was okay before he looked away towards Ryan. “I have his back as well.” She finished quietly.

“And what if he bends the rules Danni to get what he wants?” Meka asked her sounding resigned as though he knew this was a battle he couldn't win.

“Then I'll step in, I'll allow him some leeway to get results but I won't let him go too far and I won't let him break them regardless of whether we have means and immunity. Trust me Meka.” She remarked.

“Fair enough” Meka said before he continued speaking, a thoughtful note creeping into his voice. “You know what I don’t understand?” He remarked, waiting until she made a sound at the back of her throat before he continued. “The Governor gave him leeway right to build his own team as he saw fit, he could have chosen anyone from anywhere, from law enforcement, from the military, he could have rang his old team up and got them over but instead he picks you, someone he knows nothing about and met once, to be his partner. I don't get why he chose you.”

Danni turned to him with a raised eyebrow before she shoved him.

“Well thanks for the vote of confidence in me and my abilities there Meka” She responded coolly.

“I don't mean it like that so don't take it as an insult hoaloha because it isn’t. I worked with you for six months straight remember on case after case. I'm well aware of how good you are at this job and the fact that your mind works differently from anyone else I know or work with. You’re the one who can take one look at someone and know exactly how to play them to get the information we want, you're the one who every witness we have opens up to. I'm not denying that. Why do you think the other Detectives hate you so much? It’s not only because you came from the mainland, it’s because you make them look like lazy bastards and are forcing them to work longer hours to try and keep up with your rate of closure. That’s why they hate you Danni.”

Danni snorted shaking her head.

“Well it’s good to know that it’s not just the fact that I’m from the mainland which causes them to treat me the way they do, instead it’s my work ethics which does it.” She remarked, her gaze fixed on Steve and Ryan as they moved away from the main group of CSU agents to speak to each other.

“You've got to admit that it is a bit strange Danni” Meka stated attracting her attention again. “I mean the guy meets you twice, once at his father’s house and the other at the station, and he just decides randomly to make you his partner. You know I was there when he told the Captain that he was taking you as his partner on the taskforce. The man was adamant over it, it was you or no one.”

“I wish I could tell you the reason why he chose me but I've got no idea, if you want to know then you'll have to ask him yourself and see if he'll tell you. He seems to have reasons behind everything he does, he just chooses not to share those reasons. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway, Captain Hookano made that extremely clear when I rang him earlier to clarify everything so I might as well just get through this case first and then try and figure everything out afterwards.”

“Yeah I guess so” Meka said on a sigh as he ran his hand over the top of his short black hair. “I don’t need to tell you what will happen to you if you don’t keep in regular contact with us do I?” He remarked, his mouth curling into a smile as he glanced down at his bitten nails. “Because I'm pretty sure that Amy would be round your house within two days, banging on the door and dragging you round to our by your hair if she thought you weren't spending enough time with us.”

Danni let out a startled laugh as she looked towards him.

“I'm not suicidal” she teased “Besides who exactly do you think you're talking to here? Not only am Gracie and I not going to disappear on you but you'll both see a lot more of the pair of us until you're sick of the sight of us. I’m going to need to hang out with people who aren't crazy like super SEAL over there. Besides you and your wife are some of the only people on this island who actually talk to me. I'm an unwelcome Ha’ole after all remember?” She remarked dispassionately before she suddenly grinned. “Besides Meka, your wife scares the shit out me. I’d rather go up against fifty Fred Doran’s than one pissed off Amy Hanamoa.”

“I hear that” Meka replied fervently before he placed a hand on her slim shoulder and squeezed it. “Anyway it’s their loss Danni girl.” He told her.

“Yeah, yeah” She remarked with a wave of her hand ignoring the fact that she could feel her face flush from the compliment. “Please don't start going all soft and gooey on me now Meka.” She stated before she changed the subject. “I saw Amy this morning at her coffee shop after the Captain booted me out of the station. She told me about the plans for this Saturday.”

“Do you actually remember what she told you about it?” He asked her suspiciously. “Because when you aren't keen on an idea or on doing something you then to suddenly forget plans” He pointed out. “Don’t think that I haven't noticed your trend of doing that.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad and besides I always have a good excuse for it” She answered him lightly with a smirk and a wink in his direction. “But have no fear I remember the plans well enough. We're meeting at your house at ten with swim and sleeping over hear and then we're heading over to the North shore for the majority of the day before heading back to yours for the BBQ and alcoholic beverages once Gracie is safely tucked away in bed. I hope you don't mind but I've sort of invited Ryan round for the full day as well.”

“Ryan? As in Ryan Moore, head of CSU? That Ryan?” Meka asked after a slight pause, lifting his hand and pointed to the man in question. Danni followed his gaze, frowning slightly when she noticed that Ryan and Steve were still talking to each other, it looked like they were frowning though it was hard to tell from the distance.

“How many Ryan’s do you know?” She queried, glancing towards Meka when he made a knowing sound at the back of her throat, giving her a smug look. “What?” she asked, feeling her face flush again. “Why are you making that noise?”

“No reason” Meka responded. “So why did you ask him to come?” He pressed.

“Well I was going to invite him for the evening part anyway but Steve needed to get into the trailer so I invited him to the whole day, that’s all.” She answered.

“Let get me get this straight. You bribed Ryan to let you into Doran’s trailer before CSU by asking him to come out for the day with you and your daughter and your close friends? The same daughter who you let no one near unless they somehow manage to survive your intense vetting process?”

“Firstly Ry has met Gracie several times before and there has been no problem, she actually likes him so she won't mind him being there and secondly we're just close friends, that’s all” She told him.

“Just close friends huh Danni girl.” Meka replied, sounding as though he didn't believe a word she was saying. Danni shot him another quick look before she turned to face him fully, jabbing her finger into his chest with a low growl.

“Don't you dare tell Amy anything about this conversation Meka, I know what you're like and I don’t want a call from her tonight grilling me about Ryan and about something which isn't happening.” She stated, jabbing him with her finger again before she changed the subject. “So I heard from Grace today that you have agreed to help her build a sandcastle on Saturday?” She asked waiting until he nodded before she continued to speak. “Well there you go then, I'll have to come on Saturday now, I can't let my daughter down by not turning up and letting her build this amazing sandcastle with her Uncle Meka can I?”

“Damn straight you can't Danni. Just wait until you actually see the sand castle that we're going to build, even you are going to be impressed by it. Grace, Billy boy and me have something to prove to the state of Hawaii after all so the castle will be epic, nothing else would do.”

“Oh?” Danni said raising an eyebrow. “And pray tell me what it is that my seven year old daughter can possibly have to prove to the state of Hawaii?” She questioned making no effort to hide the amusement from her voice.

“What do we have to prove?” Meka repeated in disbelief. “We need to prove that the three of us can build the best sand castle on the island, I would have thought that was pretty obvious to anyone. We have been planning this for weeks now, we've even drawn a blueprint for it. Your little Gracie is quite the mini dictator when she gets going just like her mum is.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing what you want in life and going for it” Danni replied with a smile. “I'm just glad she has you to do this stuff with, Duncan is a great father to Grace but he has never been able to just let go and just have fun even when it comes to Grace.” She admitted.

“Danni, it’s time for us to go.”

Danni looked away from Meka to see Steve approaching them across the uneven ground, his eyes moving between Danni and Meka with a slight frown on his face.

“Of course it is.” She responded, standing up straight as she looked down at her watch. “I'm assuming you want to head back to the office to have a crack at Doran or is there somewhere else you want us to go first?” She asked him, tilting her head back so she could look into his face.

“We'll go to the office” Steve answered, keeping his eyes fixed on Meka as though he was sizing him up. Danni glanced between them before she made a knowing sound.

“I'm guessing that the two of you have never been formally introduced at the office by the captain. Steve this is my partner Detective Meka Hanamoa, Meka this is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, head of the Governor’s task force.”

You mean your former partner” Steve corrected automatically, his eyes flickering to Danni before he looked back at Meka and nodded at him. “Pleased to meet you Detective” He added, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That’s right, I'm the former partner. It’s nice to meet you too commander” Meka answered, his tone making it clear that it was anything but nice, Danni glanced between the two of them again before she rolled her eyes with a sigh.

“Well I hate to break up whatever strange male ritual you both seem to be participating in but if we want to have a crack on breaking Doran today then we should get going now Steve.” She commented, reaching out and wrapping her hand around Steve’s wrist tugging at it. For a moment Steve remained rooted to the spot, ignoring her efforts to make him move away from Meka. “Steve” She said again, a firm note coming to her voice which had been lacking before. She saw him tense for a moment before he looked away from Meka and allowed her to pull him away from the other man. She twisted round him, placing her hand on his back between his shoulder blades and pushed him towards the back of the car before she looked back at Meka with a smile. “Sorry but we've got to go. I'll see you soon okay?”

“Yeah you will Hoaloha, I’ll be seeing you on Saturday, ten at ours yeah? Make sure you let Ryan know the details” He commented.

“Will do and don’t worry I’ll make sure the three of us are there on time.” She confirmed. “If you, Amy and Billy boy are around tomorrow evening then why don’t you come round for dinner? It’s just going to be me and Grace so you’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Yeah that sounds good, I’ll mention it to Amy later on and she’ll call you and let you know” Meka answered, pushing himself off of the car and stretched her arms above his head. “It’s time for this Detective to go and earn his pay cheque. Take care of yourself Danni girl. Goodbye Commander.” He said, his voice cooling as he looked at Steve over the roof of the car.

Danni waved at him before she climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. She reached into her bag and pulled out her sunglasses, slipping them on her nose and did her seatbelt up. She reversed the car once Steve was in, waving at Ryan before they left the trailer park.

They drove in silence for a few moments before Danni spoke.

“Did you manage to find anything in the trailer after I left?” She asked, sparing his a quick glance from the corner of her eyes before she turned her attention back to the road in front of them.

“There was nothing I could see that could link them together other than Chen Chi, maybe if we had had more time in there I could have found something” He replied, a flat note coming to his voice. She looked over at him properly, noticing that the hand resting on his thigh was curled into a fist. For an instant Danni wanted to reach over and cover it with her hand but she resisted the temptation, from the stiff way he was holding himself it was perfectly clear that any human contact would be highly unwelcomed to him at that time.

“Who is Chen Chi?” Danni asked curiously.

“The girl from inside the trailer” Steve replied simply. “She told me that her name was Chen Chi.”

“And she’s the link” Danni said slowly. “I suppose it was a long shot to find anything else in there are first glance.” She commented with a shrug bringing her attention back to the road as she tried to remember the quickest way to get to the Aliiolani Hale from where they currently were. She glanced back at him taking his closed expression on his face. “You know that Doran isn’t going anyway soon Steve” She pointed out gently when he remained silent. “We have him on so many charges that the only thing he has to look forward to is a life staring at the same four walls, hopefully in solitary without any windows. I know Ryan and his team will find more things back at the trailer to nail him with as well because he’s just that good at what he does.” She told him, noticing the quick look that Steve shot her before she continued speaking. “I saw you talking to Ryan earlier, I’m assuming you told him what you were looking for?”

“Yeah I told him what we needed” Steve replied.

“Well then if it’s there then he will find it” She said. “You’re going to get your chance with Doran to make him talk. We both will and we will make him talk. We will find out where Hesse is and then we find out who and where the leader of this trafficking ring is. I’d bet my badge on the fact that Victor Hesse and the trafficking ring are somehow connected to each other. If we find one of them then we should find the other.”

Steve looked over at her, his eyes looking dark in the bright sunlight. He seemed to be considering her words carefully before he spoke.

“So we’re both in agreement with each other that Hesse used an already established trafficking route to enter Hawaii beneath the radar?”

“I think we are” She agreed. “Considering the record you say he had there is no other way that I can think of that would get him onto the island without someone flagging his entry.”

“Whoever is running the ring is good” Steve said, “He’s managed to remain below the radar until now. If he could get all those Chinese immigrants onto the island without being seen then slipping two men on the island would be a piece of cake.”

“Two men?” Danni said, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. “You mean Hesse and the computer guy who you said was with him at your father’s house?”

“Yeah” Steve said “Finding the pair of them is all that matters Danni. We have to get both of them.”

“We will but we also need to look at the bigger picture now as well Steve,” She said with a frown turning to meet his eyes briefly. “We need to close that trafficking ring down so that no one else goes through what Chen Chi has gone through. I have a young daughter Steve, if it has been Grace in that room, if anything happened to her then I don't know what I would do” She stopped and shook her head. “That’s an actually a lie. I know exactly what I would do if someone touched my baby. I would hunt down everyone who was involved and I would kill them and I would make sure that I made it as slow and painful as I possibly could for each and every one of them. The jail time would be worth it.” She stated calmly, her hands tightening on the steering wheel.

There was a brief silence between them.

“We are going to do both Danni. We will find Hesse and we will close the trafficking ring down as well.” He promised her before he suddenly frowned looking out of the window as he shifted on his seat. “Where exactly are we going?” He demanded sounding puzzled.

“What do you mean where are we going?” Danni responded with a frown. “I’m in the process of driving us to the Aliiolani Hale building so we can interview Doran and start solving this case. Where else would I be heading?” She queried.

“The Aliiolani Hale building isn’t this way Danni, you need to take the next left here” He said, reaching up and pointing past her. Danni growled under her breathe as she reached up and smacked his hand away from her.

“Do you mind? I’m trying to drive here” She said with a glare at him. “And for the record I know exactly where I’m going because I’ve passed the building several times before. I’ve already told you that. We carry on down this road and then we turn left at the bottom of it. We carry on down that road, turn left again at the bottom and then we are there, safe and sound.” She explained.

“With all due respect Danni, I’ve lived here all my life and you’ve only been here for six months or so. I think based on that I know where I’m going more than you do. Perhaps you should actually listen to me and following my directions.”

“With all due respect Steve what the hell does that have to do with anything? You’ve been gone from this island a long time doing your Ninja SEAL stuff abroad? You could easily have forgotten how to get to places. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, forgetting the way to where you want to go is normal. I believe it happens to a lot of men who are getting on in year.” She answered calmly.

“Getting on in years?” Steve repeated in disbelief turning to look at her. “I’m thirty three years old Danni, I'm hardly getting on in years.”

“Well that makes you older than I am Steve” She responded with a smile. “Oh and Steve if you try to backseat drive again then I’ll be forced to hit you hard somewhere on your body and I promise you it will hurt, SEAL or no SEAL.”

“I’m in the passenger seat, not in the backseat Danni” He pointed out, smiling when she turned to glare at him.

“You will definitely be getting punched now but I’m not going to tell you where it will be or when it will be. All I'll tell you is that it will be when you least expect it” She commented.

“Well I appreciate the warning Danni, now pull over and let me drive the car. I can have us there within minutes.”

“You’ll have us there within minutes because we are literally minutes away from where we want to go Steven. I'm the driver not you so I pick the routes so do me a favour and just sit there and be quiet because you're beginning to give me a headache.”

“Are you actually telling me to be quiet?” Steve demanded, his mouth falling open as he stared at him. “Danni I-” he began to say stopping when Danni cut across him.

“We’re here” She commented as she hit the indicator and pulled into the car park taking one of the free parking spaces near the entrance of the building. “Looks like your sense of direction if ever so slightly off Commander, don’t worry though I'd be more than happy to show you the way round the island” She commented innocently, flashing him a smile as she reached down and grabbed her bag from the footwell of the passenger seat, her hand brushing his leg as she straightened and exited the car. She bent over, slipping her flats off and pulled her heels back on.

“I know exactly where I was going” Steve said, “If we had turned left when I told you to turn left then we would have been here earlier. You took the longest route possible Danni.”

“Whatever you say Steve” Danni replied with a shake of her head as she headed towards the building in front of her. “What floor are we based on then?” She asked him, glancing over her shoulder towards him.

“We’re on the top floor” Steve answered, coming up on her right hand side and matching his walking pace to her own. “There are holding cells and two interrogation rooms in the basement so I’m going to head down there now and get some answers.”

“No Steve” Danni said, turning towards him and grabbing his arm. Steve stopped and looked around at her, a pissed off look coming to his face as he met her eyes.

“Danni” He growled. Danni ignored it, tightening her grip on his arm, ignoring how warm his skin felt beneath her palm.

“Steve listen to me, we need to come up in a strategy to hit Doran with. We can look over his file and come up with a plan of action before we go at him. We have time to go upstairs and get everything sorted, Doran is in a holding cell Steve, and he isn't going anywhere.”

“Hesse is though Danni, I know him. I have spent the last five years of my life chasing him and his brother across the world. He is going to try and get off the island and if he manages it then everything will be lost. Doran is currently out only lead and you just want to leave him down there when you know as much as I do that he is the key at the moment to finding Hesse?” Steve demanded angrily.

“Yes I do” she retorted, meeting his gaze. “Look Steve I’m not going to lie, I have no idea why you made me you partner and right now I don’t particularly care why either. The simple fact is that you did make me your partner so I'm asking you to please listen to me on this because I know what I'm talking about. I know you want answers and I understand that completely, if I was in your shoes then I would want exactly the same thing as you but we have to try and look at this situation logically and not do anything stupid.” She said softly.

“Danni-” Steve began, stopping when Danni continued to speak.

“I get that you want to bash Doran’s head in and I'm on board with that. Doran is the worst kind of scum there is but unfortunately right now he’s the only piece of scum who can give us the answers we need so we have to do it right. One false move with him and he’ll clam up and ask for a lawyer and then we will be screwed so yeah on this one occasion I’m telling you that we need to take this slower than you want to. Doran is currently sitting in a cold interrogation room with no windows. There is nothing to distract him from his thoughts, no view, no conversation with anyone, nothing. All he has is his thoughts and the small piece of knowledge that we're currently tearing his house apart looking for things to use against him. For a man like Doran who clearly has to be in control, the lack of it will be killing him. Better yet that will be making him very angry. He clearly has issues when it comes to that. It won't take him long to crack and the minute he does is the minute he'll start revealing things which he never meant to reveal to us. He’s worried, worried enough that he might give up Hesse to us to cut a deal to save his sorry little ass. He expects us to do it the way you want it done Steve. He expects us to rush in there, guns blazing and shown him all our cards so how about instead we do it in a way he doesn't expect, one that will leave him off guard. My way in this situation is better. All I'm asking for is one hour Steve, if this method doesn't work then we'll use your way. Let’s take the time to look at all the information we have on him so we can use it against him. Knowledge is power and Doran is the kind of man who will only respond to power, it’s why he’s scared of you Steve.”

Steve remained silent for a moment, searching her eyes before a slight smile came to his mouth.

“This right here is one of the reasons why I made you my partner. We’ll do it your way. One hour only though” He said. Danni nodded at him.

“Just one hour” she agreed, she smiled when he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, his hand lingering for a second before he turned and headed towards the building. She suddenly frowned. “Hey wait, one of the reasons you made me your partner? What do you mean one of the reasons? What are the other reasons?"

He ignored her, entering the building, leaving her standing in the car park staring after him.

“He’s freaking done it again.” She muttered to herself, glancing around her once before she sighed, reaching up and brushing some stray hair from her face as she shouldered her bag and headed towards the building.

They had a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read


	9. Strategy Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danni discuss strategy when it comes to Doran...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was important to me to write because I really wanted to establish right at the beginning of the saga what Steve and Danni’s working relationship would be like with each other. It’s extremely easy to forget at this stage that the pair of them have only know each other for an hour, two pushing it. They know little to nothing about each other, they certainly have no idea how the other one’s mind works until this chapter when it all begins to fall into place. It was fascinating writing the way they interacted with each other and how they bounced their ideas off of each other. I like to think that this is the chapter when you can see that they will make it together as work partners and they are actually going to be extremely good together in the office.

****************************************  
23rd September 2010  
3rd Floor  
Ali’iolani Hale  
417 King Street  
Honolulu  
Oahu

****************************************

“Okay, I admit it you were right, this place is actually really nice.” Danni remarked as she stopped in the doorway of their new headquarters and looked around her in appreciation taking in the large open space, a soft smile coming to her face. “I mean” She went on to say, tilting her head to the side as Steve brushed past her entering the room. “I thought it might be nice on the inside because the outside of the building is so lovely but this…” her voice trailed off for a moment as she waved her hand around her, indicating the space. “I've never worked somewhere like this before, you saw the pen at HPD and the one in Jersey was even worse than that. This however has the potential to be a really nice place to work in. I really like it, what about you? Do you like it?” She asked him curiously as she followed him into the room, her eyes taking in everything.

It was a surprisingly large room, painted a muted beige colour. There was a large space in the middle of the room where a simple wooden table stood. The space was surrounded by eight good sized offices made of dark wood and glass allowing the occupants to be able to see each other at all times if they chose to. She assumed that they would spend most of their time in the middle of the room so they could bounce ideas off of each other during a case. The room was finished off by large windows to the north of the room which allowed sunlight to stream into the area.

“It’s just a place for us to work Danni” Steve replied absently with a shrug. His mind clearly not on the room but the case.

“Just a place to work?” Danni repeated in disbelief before she shook her head at him. “Trust me when I say that this is going to be more than just a place for us to work Steve. If there was one thing I learnt back in New Jersey it’s the fact that you have to have a happy workforce if you’re going to get anything done and get the best out of people. This office is going to end up being a home away from home for us since we’re going to spend so much time here. It is important that we make it into a place where people feel comfortable in, a place where they won’t mind going to every day rather than one they hate. Trust me when I say that I know how it feels to hate the place you’re working in, I've just spent the past six months feeling like that. I wouldn't wish the past six months I've dealt with on even my worst enemy” She remarked shaking her head as she reached up and brushed some stray hair away from her eyes. She was aware of Steve watching her thoughtfully, his eyes intense making her feel uneasy. She cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. “Is that the kitchen over there?” She asked him, pointed to a door at the end of the room. “Because I should advise you that I need at least two cups of coffee in the morning to even function” She warned him with a smile.

“Noted” Steve answered her with a half-smile. “According to the Governor’s assistance we can decide how we want to decorate the place. She’s arranged for someone to come in over the next few days to paint the place and all the equipment should start arriving by the end of today, they’ll provide people to set it all up for us” He went on to say glancing around him quickly with a disinterested look. “I was going to leave it as it is but if you want to redecorate it and make it into the happy work place you’re so keen on having then knock yourself out. Just let me know the colour as soon as possible so I can let the decorators knows. You’ll have to send me a report with the costing on it so I can sign it off and send it to the Governor so she can keep a record of it. You’ll have to do it in your own time though, I need you with me, not looking over paint charts.” He remarked seriously.

Danni turned to him with a look of surprise.

“Wait a minute” she said, holding up her palm to him, ignoring his last comment. “Are you saying that you would actually let me redecorate this place anyway I wanted to?” She queried, her eyes widening when Steve nodded at her. “But what about you?” She pressed, “Surely you would want a say in the decision process?”

“I lived on an aircraft carriers for months at a time Danni, the other time I'm out of missions dealing with all the elements, trust me when I say that this is a luxury compared to what I'm used to. I don’t care what colours the walls are but clearly you do or you wouldn't have brought it up so go for it. I want you to be happy here.” He finished, his voice softening slightly. Danni stared at him for a full moment wondering where exactly he had been before she looked round the room again, her gaze lingering on certain areas of the place thoughtfully.

“There are some changed I would like to make” She admitted. “Just small ones to make the room cosier but I would be happier if we discussed it together first and I show it to you before we actually make any changes to the place okay? We’re a team now right?” She said, smiling when he nodded at her. “Well in that case we should make decision which affects the team together because it affects us all. Besides Steve, this is as much your work space as it is mine. I wouldn't feel right in choosing for you, not until I get to know you better. What if I chose a colour you actually hated, every time you stepped in here you’d descend into a foul mood and that in turn would affect my mood because you’re my partner so no, if we do this then we do it together, understood?” She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Steve shot her a bemused look before he slowly nodded.

“Understood Danni” He agreed cautiously.

Danni nodded, her mouth quirking into a smile as she focused on the offices.

“Are you planning on allocating offices to the team or is it a free for all, first come, first serve sort of arrangement?” She asked him, changing the subject again.

“I've picked that one for myself already.” Steve informed her, twisting on the spot and waving his hand towards the only office in the room which had been partially decorated and furnished. “I want you to take the office next to it. The others who we hire can choose between them which office they want.” Danni raised an eyebrow following his finger to look at the office which he was pointing at. It was the one which was next to him and was the only one that she could see which equalled to his in size and shared the same view out of the window as his.

“What makes me so special that I get the hand-picked office? Not that I'm complaining or anything because that looks like a very nice office but…” her voice trailed off as she waited for a responses, a questioning look on her face.

“Because you’re my partner which automatically makes you the second in command of the task force. If I'm not here for some reason then you will be in charge of the team. It makes sense for your office to be next one to mine to establish a clear command chain.” He informed her.

“So I'm your second in command am I?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, a slow smile coming to her face as she met his eyes. “Well as much as I like the sound of that and trust me I do, it doesn't exactly hold much weight when there are currently only two members of the team. Is this your way of trying to make me feel important because I've got to be honest and say that it’s working.”

Danni stared in surprise when Steve suddenly grinned at her, the smile changing his face, making him look younger and more carefree. She made herself look away from him.

“There are two of us at the moment Danni but there will soon be more. The Governor has already made it perfectly clear that she wants at least four people on the task force at any given time, preferably more.” He told her, turning and entering his office. Danni watched him through the glass as he picked up a cardboard box, checking the surface of his desk for something before he turned and exited the room heading towards the wooden table which Danni had spotted earlier.

“Having at least four team members does make sense, it would make following leads a lot easier if we could split into groups.” Danni commented thoughtfully. “If you got to hand-pick the members then can you please make sure that you get a computer expert of some kind because for all my many skills which I've managed to acquire over the years, understanding and dealing with high-tech technology isn't one of them. I know enough to get round the various systems the police use and to help my daughter with her homework and that is about it, anything which requires more than that and you’ll be on your own with it.” She remarked with a shake of her head before she shot him a curious look. “Have you got any potentials in mind to join us then?” She asked him as she headed over to the table to join him, watching as he unpacked the box which head had carried in. A box which appeared to be full of files. Danni dumped her own bag on one of the chairs and looked at them.

“I know of one person I want to ask, it is just a case of getting him to agree to it.” Steve replied absently. “But I don’t know who will fill the second vacancy yet” He admitted as he looked at her. “If someone doesn't come up within a week then we’ll look towards other ways of finding someone.”

“The sooner we can have a full strength team the better it will be for us” She answered.

“Of course” Steve agreed before he rested his hand on the pile of files he had placed on the surface of the table. “These are everything which I have on my father’s case, both my files and the case notes I've made. I added the files you made up as well, the ones I took from you earlier.” He explained to her. Danni nodded slowly, reaching across and picked up one of the unfamiliar files. A glance at the front cover shows that she had Steve’s file on Victor Hesse. She frowned slightly, noticing how thin and light it actually was. “That’s not everything which I have on Victor Hesse, I had to take most of it out due to the classified Intel involved.” Danni’s face cleared as she nodded at him.

“That makes sense” She answered turning her attention back to the file in her hand. She rested it on the table in front of it and opened it, picking up the piece of paper on top which was a surveillance picture which looked as though it has been taken at a distance. The man in the picture looked to be in his early forties and was roughly about five foot nine in height perhaps five foot ten. His hair was short and wavy, a dark brown which was peppered liberally with silver, an indication of a hard life. His eyes looked blue, a pale intense colour, which came across clearly despite the grainy quality of the photograph. It was the expression on his face which caught her attention the most and held it. He looked cunning and extremely intelligent, a combination which caused a shiver to go down her spine. This was a man who clearly knew what he was doing and that made him dangerous. “So this is the famous Victor Hesse then” She commented lightly. “Not exactly the sort of man who you would want to come after you. I'm assuming since you only have this sort of picture on the file, it means that you haven’t successfully caught him and obtained a mug shot of him?” She questioned, waving the photo side to side to indicate what she meant. She sighed when he shook his head at her.

“No, nothing like that yet, both Hesse and his brother had managed to evade capture from any authorities. It hasn't been through lack of trying as well. They clearly have moles and connections in every branch of law enforcement and the military because whenever a raid was planned against them, they somehow got wind of it and up with their operations and disappeared before it could be executed. These two were on every Government watch list here and aboard and they still managed to get on with their business. Victor still is.” He said, an undercurrent of bitterness to his voice. She shot him a quick look before she spoke.

“But it’s not impossible to capture them. You caught Anton didn't you?” She asked, rolling her eyes at the sudden closed look which came to his face at her question. “Alright, alright I get it. You can’t tell me anything about the operations because that information is restricted and classified.” She shook her head. “But regardless of that the facts are the facts Steve, you had Anton Hesse with you when all of this happened which means that you caught him and that in itself is pretty damn impressive, It sounds to me like you managed to do what everyone else tried to do and which they failed to do. You and your team caught a Hesse brother, which means that either you are very, very good at what you do or you just happened to get really lucky this time round. “She commented, placing the photo she was holding back on the surface of the table and picked up another one of Hesse with a second man who she didn't recognise. “I guess that Victor Hesse must be a pretty dangerous man if he is on every Government watch list going.”

She glanced up at him, blinking in surprise when she saw that Steve had moved away from his side of the table to stand next to her, a look in his eyes which froze her to the spot, reminding her with a vengeance that the man in front of her was a highly dangerous man as well. She blinked in surprise again when he reached towards her, gripping her upper arms tightly, though not tight enough that the grip would hurt her or leave a bruise on her skin.

“Victor Hesse isn't pretty dangerous Danni, he is an extremely dangerous man. This is a man who would kill someone for no other reason than they looked at him in a manner which happened to annoy him. When we find him I want you to give me your word that you will leave his take down to me. I've been trained to take people out like him, I’ve studied him and his methods for five years now, I know the way he thinks and the way his mind works and the way he fights. If he catches sight of you and finds out that you are actively hunting him or worse that you might be getting close to finding him then he won’t hesitate to turn the tables on you and make you his prey instead. He will use whatever methods and means he has at his disposal to stop you including using your daughter. That is the kind of man he is Danni. The fact that you’re now my partner only increasing your worth in his eyes.”

Danni remained silent for a moment, her eyes dropping from Steve’s to look at the picture in her hand, aware of the small trickle of fear moving through her at Steve’s words. She nibbled at her lower lip uneasily, her mind focusing on Grace before she made herself look back at Steve.

“What if I manage to find him first Steve and you aren't there to take him down. Would you really rather I just stand back and allow him to escape from us?” She demanded, hiding a wince when his hands tightened on her skin further.

“I’d rather you pulled back and call me and then remain hidden from his sight line. I mean it Danni, do not try and engage him in any form of combat because he would wipe the floor with you. I will make this an order if I have to.” He threatened, his voice cold, sounding like she expected a Commander in the navy to sound like. She straightened her spine, her eyes narrowing slightly at him before she spoke.

“Firstly Steven, you have never seen me in hand to hand combat before so you don’t actually have the right to make that assumption about what would happen in a fight between me and Hesse. I am a lot tougher than I might look. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your concern for me because I do but it’s not in my job description to just stand back and allow someone who is wanted by the law to just escape because there’s the chance that I might end up injured. You are my partner now which means that we have each other’s backs. We need to learn to trust each other, if you can’t trust me to be able to do my job properly then we might as well end this partnership now and have me transferred back to HPD while you find someone else who is willing to blindly follow your ordered because that person isn't me. If you’re wrong then I'm going to tell you you’re wrong” She told him, meeting his eyes directly, still aware of his hands on her arms. “But I'm not inflexible and I'm not stupid either. I'm actually pretty sensible in the large scale of things. I know what you’re saying is the right thing to do when it comes to Hesse and I'm more than happy on this one occasion to stand back and let you take him on using your learnt navy seal ninja move. I’ll stay behind cover unless you look like you’re losing in which case all bets are off. You might as well accept it so we can move on and focus on what’s important here.”

Steve stared at her for a moment before his eyes flickered away, clearly choosing his words carefully as he began speaking again.

“Danni I appreciate that, I do but you do not know this man like I know him. I've seen first-hand what he does to the people who fall into his hands. Killing them in the kindest thing he does to them.”

Danni glanced away from him, images of John McGarrett’s tortured body leaping into her mind.

“So have I Steve” She said quietly, noticing the way his jaws clenched at her words. “It’s what makes capturing him this time so important so that no one else does end up in his hands. Look I knew the risks when I joined the Academy back in New Jersey and became a cop. I signed on for this, I've always know what might happen to me and I've accepted it, now you need to.”

She watched as Steve looked away from her, a vein throbbing in his head before he sighed suddenly, the sound loud in the otherwise silent room as he looked back to her, his eyes searching her closely for something.

“There’s nothing I can say that will change your mind about this is there?” He asked her, sounding almost tired for a second. Danni shook her head slowly.

“No, not on this subject anyway.” She admitted, catching his gaze again as she continued speaking, trying to drum her point home to see. “You see Steve, I would rather you were alive and bitching about me and about the way I do things then have your death eating away at my conscious because I failed to help you when you actually needed me. You might have been a SEAL but you’re not invincible and I'm not going to lose another partner.” She stated, reaching up and brushing some stray hair away from her eyes. She turned the moment Steve’s hands dropped from her arms, back towards the table, taking a moment to compose herself as she gathered the papers from Hesse’s file back into a neat pile before she slipped them back in to the correct place without another word. She felt Steve’s eyes on the side of her face but he remained silent as he turned and moved away from her, back to his side of the table again. She rolled her shoulders back trying to loosen some of the tension in them, her mind focusing briefly on the fact that she could still feel the imprint of Steve’s hands on her skin. “Have you had any luck in finding out who Hesse’s accomplice is? The one who you think was with him during your father’s murder?” Danni asked quietly.

“Nothing substantial yet” Steve answered after a brief pause. “When I was at the house earlier before you came, I was able to get a partial palm print from the surface of the table where the laptop had been set up. I've sent the picture of it to a friend of mine who still works in Naval Intelligence. She’s running it through the databases now to see if she can get a hit from it. She’s going to call or text me when she has something to tell me.” He explained.

“That’s good” Danni stated, reaching up and pulling thoughtfully at her lower lip before she dropped her hand and looked back up at him. “Do you want me to send the picture of it to CSU so they can run it through the CODIS system to see if anything pings there? It could be that it belongs to someone local, we might get a faster answer from CSU if that’s the case.” She remarked, torn between being impressed by all the resources which Steve seemed to have available to him and interested in who exactly the woman from Naval Intelligence was who was helping them with the print.

Danni’s experience when it came to the military and the way it worked was limited to the air force where her younger brother Chris was a fighter pilot. They had rarely spoken about either of their job preferring to talk about happier things on the rare occasion they saw each other, but she knew from one conversation they had, had, that the military, regardless of the branch, only had jurisdiction with a case if the case in question featured a military personnel either as the victim or the suspect. Whoever was running that palm print for Steve could end up in serious trouble if she was caught by a higher ranking officer. She shook her head, her mouth curling up into a half smile. No doubt there were plenty of women out there who would risk getting into trouble for the man standing opposite her, a fact she was sure he knew.

“We can give that a go but I doubt we’ll get a hit from it.” Steve told her, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and looking down at it, no doubt sending her the message. “

“Why is that then?” Danni questioned, feeling a slight tinge of annoyance at how readily he dismissed the CSU team.

“The Hesse brothers are very suspicious when it comes to them working with other people. They tend to only use the people they have worked with a few times in the past or the people who they grew up with in Ireland who have been with them throughout. That second group is pretty small and getting smaller all the time” He remarked, pushing his cell back into his pocket and looking up at her. “I've sent it” He told her.

“So the Hesse brothers were originally from Ireland then” Danni said in surprise. “I guess it makes sense in a way. Victor has that whole Celtic look going on. The pair of them are certainly far from home” She rubbed at her neck before leaning forward, planting her palms on the desk. “So you think that the guy who did the computer work back at your father’s house is foreign rather than a local? Maybe someone from Ireland who no one knows about. I can’t believe that someone working with someone like Hesse doesn't have a record somewhere out there.”

“He’ll have a record somewhere Danni but it won’t be one which flags up with the police.” Steve answered. “It would eventually trigger something because the people who work with the Hesse brother tend to have a record a mile long and are known by the bigger agencies like Interpol or the FI. The problem is that by the time CSU find that link, go through the necessary channels and received a response about it, it will be too late. Hesse and his accomplice would be long gone from here to a country where we can’t reach them. We would have to wait for them to show up again. I sent the print to Cath two hours ago and the last time I checked in she said that we should get a hit from it within the hour. The helpful thing about having this access to the military database is the fact that it covers the rest of world as well as America. If this man or woman has a record anywhere then we’ll soon know about it. He won’t be able to hide from us.”

“That’s a handy thing to have access to” Danni agreed “God knows Meka and I could have used that sort of access for some of our recent cases.” She sighed, walking to where she had dropped her bag and went through it quickly, locating her cell phone and highlighting the picture message from an unknown number. She opened it, checking to see if it was the palm print before she forwarded it onto Agent Triston Nicholson who was the fingerprint expert with CSU. She saved Steve’s number in her cell before she dropped it back in her bag and moved back to the table, her gaze flickering to Steve who was reading one of the files she had made up. “I’ve just sent it to CSU so we should get a response soon either from them or your friend” She commented. “If you get the name first then could you send it to me? As soon as I have that information I can get a visual of him and contact Honolulu airport asking them to send me their footage for the past two weeks to see whether I can see exactly when he or she entered Hawaii, it might help narrow down our timeline on when Hesse entered as well” She remarked.

“That’s going to take a long time for you to go through all that footage Danni and let’s be honest it’s probably not going to turn up anything. If Hesse travelled here by the trafficking route then it stands to reason that his accomplice did as well. He won’t want there to be any chance that the man can be ID.” Steve pointed out to her.

“You’re probably right about it taking a while to go through, that’s why I’ll be taking it home with me to watch once Grace is in bed. There’s a good chance that Hesse’s accomplice came in the same way he did but we can’t know that for certain can we? Everything comes down to the type of person he used to help him.” She remarked thoughtfully.

“What are you thinking then?” Steve queried, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched her closely. A slight frown on his face.

“A lot of things” She responded, breathing out before she began explaining to him. “We’re both in complete agreement that Hesse used the trafficking route to enter Hawaii because there’s no way he could have come onto the island any other way. Not when he’s flagged up with every agencies and the military, agencies and military who would descend on the island the minute they thought he was here. He’s smart so he’s not going to risk that. I know you said that Victor and Anton only use people they trust but I don’t think you’re taking in to account how different this situation was for Victor. You had Anton in custody for the first time and time was not on Hesse’s side. He no longer had the chance of hand picking his partner, not when the window for getting his brother back was so small. Maybe he had to make do with the resources he had around him including his accomplice. I mean I'm not claiming to be an expert of Hesse because I'm not, I know next to nothing about the guy. Maybe he is paranoid enough that he keeps people around him for every possible scenario which might happen but considering how distrustful they are of people I doubt it. They would be too worried of being betrayed for that.” She told him, crossing her arms and mirroring his posture as she continued speaking. “If I was Victor Hesse I would use someone who had the ability to move around the island unhindered. Someone who blended in without arousing suspicion from someone and could scope out my target without raising alarm bells from anyone. Whoever he or she is they were able to follow your father enough to learn his routine and to know when the best time to strike at him was, not only that but he took the time to learn the neighbours routine as well. From what I heard your father was always on guard so something about whoever he or she is didn't concern him. Hesse would need someone who could come into Hawaii and not flag up to anyone and the best way for that is to come legally in through the airport from a plane. If he did that then we can track his movements from the airport and see which area of the island he is favouring. There’s a good chance if we locate that then we can locate Hesse as well.” She stopped, taking in a deep breath as she waited for him to respond to her long speech.

For a moment he remained silent, staring at her thoughtfully before he spoke.

“That might be what happened Danni or it might be completely wrong. It’s all speculation at the moment. What I do know for certain is that Hesse would have thought of that possibility already and taken the necessary steps to cancel it out. He would constantly be on the move, never staying in one place for longer than a day, perhaps as little as a few hours if the place was too crowded for his liking. He doesn't make mistakes like that Danni, it’s not wired into his DNA, he plans for everything and has informants and moles planted everywhere. If he didn't then we would have caught Hesse and his brother long ago.”

Danni nodded.

“Exactly right” She agreed, watching as his eyes narrowed slightly in thought as though he was trying to see where she was going with it. “Hesse from what you told me doesn't make mistakes but I'm not talking about Hesse Steve. I'm talking about his accomplice, we can’t fall into the trap of assuming they are both as good as each other. All we need is one mistake from the accomplice, just one mistake which Hesse isn't even aware has been made. Even the best tactician can’t prevent or counter something if they are unaware that it was happened in the first place and it would be unlikely if the accomplice was aware that he had made a mistake that he would inform Hesse of it. Not if Hesse would kill him for it”

Steve considered her words briefly before he nodded.

“Okay” He said “I’ll stay on the Hesse lead trying to figure out what his next move is going to be. When Cath sends me the accomplice’s name I’ll let you know what it is or forward it to you if you’re not with me for some reason. When you have it, I want you to find out everything you can about him, using whatever resources you have at your disposal. I want his name, his full history, his contacts and his movement across Hawaii. Anything and everything, I want to know if he’s so much as looked at someone funnily. Anything we can use against him Danni is what we need. If we can’t get Doran to flip on Hesse then maybe this guy will instead.”

“Don’t worry” She told him with a smile. “This sort of thing is what I'm good at, you might call it my speciality. We’ll know everything there is to know about him which is available to know by the time I'm finished with him. I might not have access to your military database but I have plenty of other contacts in the major agencies. I can speak to them about it, if there is information out there then they’ll provide it to me.” She stated, glancing down towards her watch. “The best thing for us to do now is to figure out our time line and see whether mine and yours merge together.”

“Okay” Steve agreed, Danni nodded at him thankful that he wasn't going to argue with her over it. She reached up and wiped at her eyes, running through everything in her head for a moment before she began to speak.

“I think we can say with almost certainty that Hesse arrived in Hawaii beneath the radar using the trafficking route which we just discovered today” She said, using her finger and tapping her finger against the file.

“Agreed, we can probably place his arrival here at about the 13th September, a week before my father was murdered.” Steve added, frowning thoughtfully.

“Why would he come a week before? Danni questioned curiously meeting Steve’s eyes when he looked up at her.

“His brother was captured a few days before the thirteenth. Hesse would need a couple of days to make the arrangements to get to Hawaii, he would have had to make arrangements for his contact as well.”

“Okay, so around about the 10th or 11th September your team found and detained Anton Hesse somewhere in Korea. Victor heard about the arrest and decided to retaliate against you, either because you took his baby brother or because you managed to disrupt whatever plan they had in motion at the time you caught Anton. Whatever the reason it was enough to put you directly in his line of sight so he hatched this plan. A hostage for a hostage, your father for his brother. Your father was probably the easiest target to get in the time limit he had.” Danni’s voice trailed off for a moment as she reached up, tapping her fingertip against her lower lip, eyes moving side to side before she spoke again. “The one thing I don’t understand is why he came after you personally. I mean why just you? You must have been part of a team so why target you and your family? It doesn't make sense.”

Danni shook her head as she closed Victor’s file, pushing it across the table towards Steve before she leaned over and picked up a second file which was slightly thicker than the previous one. She glanced at the front before she opened it and found herself looking down at Anton Hesse’s mug shot. His hair was longer than his brother’s and lighter in colour. They had a similar look though it was clear to see that Anton was the better looking brother. She stared down at the blue eyes, noting that they were a couple of shade darker than Victor’s before she looked up as Steve began speaking.

“I was the lead investigator after them. The only one on the team who could understand the way their mind worked and they knew it.” He answered her, “They knew that I would be the only one who had the authority to release Anton” Danni’s eyebrow rose when she heard the dark tone to his voice, a tone which made her tense up.

“Well” She said forcing herself to speak lightly. “They clearly don’t know the way you work” She stated “But if that’s the case then it makes sense why they went for you. They knew who you were and that you were the reason why they were constantly on the run and who was responsible for interfering with their operations. It says in his file that Anton was a computer genius? He went to a top listed university and graduated top of his class, that’s no mean feat, it makes you wonder what he could have made of himself if he has kept on the straight and narrow instead of following his brother into the family business. It’s almost sad when you think about it.” She said, looking at the photo again.

“We don’t know so there is little point in think about what might have been Danni.” Steve told her sternly. “But you’re right, Anton was a world class hacker, one of the best who I’ve come across and I’ve been in naval intelligence for five years straight. He would have been the one who broke through the firewall protecting the personal files in the military database. It’s the only explanation I can think of how they got my father’s information. That and my younger sister’s information would have been in there including their current addresses and numbers in case anything happened to me during a mission.”

“Your younger sister Mary right?” She asked, continuing when Steve nodded at her. I'm guessing that you've spoken to her since this happened. Is she staying with you?”

“Staying with me?” Steve asked with a frown. “Why would Mary be staying with me?” He demanded causing Danni to frown in confusion at him.

“Because it was your father’s funeral today so I'm guessing she is on the island so she could attend.” Danni said, keeping her voice soft.

“Mary isn't on the island Danni” Steve answered her after a brief pause, his tone making it clear that he wanted her to drop the subject, a fact reinforced when he changed the topic back to their previous one. “So when Hesse arrives in Hawaii, the first thing he did was to find somewhere he could hide out before he went and got the gun from Doran.” Steve remarked. Danni watched as he picked up the file she had made on Fred Doran and flicked through it. “Looking at Doran’s criminal record and the type of crimes he was arrested on, it wouldn't be a great leap to assume that they have done business with each other in the past. Victor and Anton had an extensive network of agents and miles working for them possibly one in every country. Maybe Doran happens to be their contact here in Hawaii.”

“We can’t make the assumption that it was Hesse himself you went to meet with Doran and pick the gun up. It’s far more likely that he sent his accomplice in his place to complete the deal and simply warned Doran who to expect. Hesse is far from stupid, he knew that if we got the gun then there was a chance however slim that it could be linked back to him. This way we can’t. The lab couldn't find any fingerprints on the weapon and there are no witnesses who physically saw him pull the trigger and murdered your father. You are the only witness to what happened and you were in another country listening in on the phone. The DA are going to say that your testimony alone isn't enough to gain a conviction on this case. Our only bet is to find this accomplice and see whether we can convince him to flip on Hesse, I know it’s unlikely.” She said catching the flicker of disbelief which crossed Steve’s impassive face. “Because Hesse would probably kill him and his family but it’s one of the only options we have so we have to give it a go.”

“It was Victor Hesse who killed my father Danni, there’s no doubt about that.” Steve growled at her, his eyes looking dark in the overhead light as he glared at her. Danni dropped Anton’s file to the surface of the desk and lifted her hands up to either side of her, palms facing towards Steve in a peaceful gesture.

“Hey” She said keeping her voice soft as though she was speaking to an upset Grace. “I know he did, I've read your testimony and I've worked this case from the start and every instinct I possess is screaming at me that Hesse is our man. I'm on your side Steve don’t doubt that okay. All I'm saying is that we need to be practical, half of this job is finding evidence to back up what you know it true, and I'm guessing it’s the same in navy intelligence. When this goes to trial, the defence are going to use every method they can to get the jury to vote note guilty. They might go as far as the question your state of mind to put doubt on you. That’s not going to work if we have something to back you up.” She told him, watching as Steve reached up and ran his hand through his hair, the anger easing from his face to be replaced by a calm, focused look.

“So from what you’re saying we won’t be able to use the gun?” He queried, placing his hands on the table surface and leaning towards her. “There’s no way of linking him to the murder through it?”

“None” She agreed.

“Right, so the only thing the weapon does is provide us with a link to Doran because Hesse would have already destroyed the clothes he was wearing on the day of the murder so we can’t rely on those. There’s a chance that some of the gun powder residue might still be on his skin or hair, just a small but which he’s unaware of. It’s not much to go on but it’s a start since my word isn't good enough.”

“It is a start, I've managed to build up a case before with a lot less.” Danni agreed before she sighed, reaching up and squeezing on the back of her neck. “Personally I believe the jury are going to believe you when you take to the stand. You have an outstanding service record and people always react well to that. The men on the jury will admire you because of your bravery and the fact you've repeatedly served your country and the women will just admire you full stop. All we need is just one shred of evidence and he’s ours though of course we need to arrest him first” She stated.

“The women will admire me” Steve repeated, his voice sounding half amused, half smug, the tone making Danni roll her eyes as she mentally willed her face not to redden.

“Of course” She confirmed with a shrug, keeping her voice professional. “You’re an attractive man Commander. I'm sure there are some women out there who would respond to that and believe anything which you say simply because you’re the one saying it. You should wear your naval uniform when you’re called to take the stand. Women love a man in uniform and it will reinforce your position with the men on the jury as well.” She advised. There was a moment’s silence before Danni broke it, her eyes flickering away from Steve’s gaze. “The point is that they will believe you regardless of what the defence will try and do but let’s do our side a favour and find something more they can work with okay.” She said. Steve nodded before he spoke, a tone to his voice which she couldn't quite determine.

“And you?” He asked. “Is my word good enough for you?”

Danni breathed out slowly before she nodded at him.

“It is but I'm not the one who have to convince, it’s everyone else.” She told him pointedly.

“You don’t know me either so why would you believe my word?” He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought as though her answer was important.

“Because I know the type of man you are” She answered him truthfully. “It might surprise you but you are not the first military man to have entered my life.” She admitted before she changed the subject. “We both know that Hesse murdered your father using the gun which I found on the scene while he was on the phone to you. What we don’t know is what he did when he left the scene. No one has seen or heard from him since then so he’s gone into hiding somewhere on the island. He can’t leave Hawaii because his face is plastered everywhere and every man and woman with a badge is on the lookout for him. Weave got to assume from what you've said that he know someone in law enforcement here as well which means he knows that you've arrived on the island now. That changes everything for him, he can’t risk sitting back and allowing things to cool down anymore. He has to get off the island now because he knows that you have the ability to find him, just like you found his brother.”

“There’s no one who knows him better than I do now that Anton is dead. My knowledge on the island is just a bonus to us. There’s nowhere he can hide here that I won’t find him.”

“Exactly and he knows it.” Danni agreed, her mouth curling up into a half smile. “On top of that he would have heard that we've arrested Doran by now. He probably doesn't know Doran well, at least not by his usual standards of vetting, so he can’t guarantee that Doran won’t talk to us and tell us everything that we want to know in a bid to save his own skin. Hesse is torn now, on one hand he has to escape the island before you find him but then on the other he has Doran who is a loose end that he can’t afford to keep dangling. He needs to deal with Doran, after all there is a chance that Doran might now something about Hesse’s operations, especially any operations concerning Hawaii. The human trafficking aspect of it for example.

“He’ll be calling on some of his contacts to deal with the Doran problem” Steve said. “His only goal at the moment is escaping so we can assume that he’ll make his move either tonight or tomorrow. He won’t risk waiting around any longer than that. He’ll head for somewhere like China and if he gets here then we’ll lose him.”

“True which is why we need to focus our attention on making Fred Doran squeal like the little pig he is. Have you got a computer set up here yet?” She asked looking away from Steve and scanning the area.

“Most of them are being installed later on but I've got one set up in my office which is working.” Steve responded, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. Danni nodded, moving away from the table and crossing the room into his office.

“Could you log onto it please?” She asked him, stopping in the doorway. Steve brushed past her, shooting her a quick look before he took the seat behind the table and booted the computer up.

“What exactly are you look for?” He questioned as he typed in his password. “I've had a look at the files which you made up on him Danni, it already has everything we need to question Doran in it. It’s an excellent file.” He complimented.

“It comes from plenty of practice.” Danni muttered distractedly. “I don’t know what they teach people here in the academy but it’s certainly not how to make a decent file up. I've had to make a new one up for every case which I've been given so far because the other one was so badly put together.”

“Yeah?” Steve responded with a raised eyebrow. “Well in that case you won’t mind me making the creation of our files for our cases your responsibility since you already have so much experience with it.”

“Lucky me” Danni remarked flatly. “I think it’s safe to say that the pair of us will be sitting down and having a long discussion about what my job here on your task force will actually entail.” She informed him, walking over to his side of the desk. She leaned across him and brought up the HPD intranet system and typed in her user name and password, granting them instant access to all the systems. “Besides” She told him, leaning away from the keyboard and resting her arm against his shoulder. “It’s not Doran who I'm interested in, it’s his family. I want to see if there is anything on them that we can use against Doran to perhaps loosen his tongue slightly.”

“Now you’re speaking my language Danni” He commented, a tone of satisfaction coming to his voice, his moved his shoulder slightly beneath her arm but made no attempt to shake her off which surprised her.

“Yeah? Well don’t read too much into it” She warned him. “I'm only doing it this way because I want Doran to give up the name of the man or woman who is in charge of the trafficking ring and I think that my normal methods of persuasion aren't going to work this time, at least not as quickly as we need it to, hence this attempt. This isn't going to be a regular occurrence though, more just a one off.” She said, rolling her eyes again when Steve’s smile widened further. “I just thought that the family would be a good place for us to start.”

“It’s a good call” Steve agreed. “You said earlier at the crime scene that you thought there was a chance that he had been abused as a child? He questioned curiously. Danni nodded.

“There’s a good chance of it. People never hate without a reason, sometimes they've been taught to by someone in authority and other times something happens to them which makes them that way. Doran’s hatred of women is strong enough that I can almost taste it and hatred that strong stems from something. It doesn't just appear one day out of the blue. To hate women the way he does strongly points to something happening to him when he was a child, something which involved a woman. It’s a natural leap to make that it was someone he trusted like his mother or a female relative. Someone close to him who had regular contact with him. He could easily have blamed his mother for not stopping it. That’s all it would take for the hatred to become established.

“That is definitely something we can work with.” Steve said thoughtfully. “I need you to follow my lead down there Danni, whatever I tell you to do, you must do.” He instructed. Danni hesitated for a moment, pushing herself off of his shoulder as she stood straight.

“You’re the boss” She pointed out lightly. Steve shot her an unreadable look searching her eyes for a moment before he turned his attention back to the screen in front of them, his fingertips flying over the keyboard as he brought up Doran’s details. “You’re good with computers I see” She commented lightly.

“It’s just one of my many talents Danni as you’ll find out.” He replied, the hint of smugness from earlier returning to his voice before it turned professional again. “Here we are” He said, pointing towards the screen. “Doran has one brother and one sister both of whom are older than he is. His brother is a high powered lawyer stationed in a law firm in Washington DC, looks like he’s a partner there while his sister is a trauma surgeon in a hospital in New York. Both of them are married with families of their own and according to this they have clean records, not so much as a parking ticket between the pair of them.” He remarked with a raised eyebrow.

“A partner in a law firm and a trauma surgeon?” Danni repeated. “Well no prizes for guessing who the black sheep of the Doran family is. You said that they were both older than him?” She asked.

“Yeah, twenty years between him and his brother and eighteen between him and his sister, so it’s safe to say that the pair of them are a lot older than he is.” He answered.

“It makes sense” Danni agreed thoughtfully. “Either Fred was a late in life mistake for his parents or a very early in life mistake for his sister. She’s eighteen years older than him, it’s possible that he belongs to her but she gave him to her parents to raise so she could get on with her life and career. It wouldn't be the first time something like that has happened.”

“That’s a possibility.” Steve agreed “Or he could just be a late in life mistake, which would explain why his relationship with his mother wasn't the best. She had probably thought that her days of child rearing and being a mother was over only to find that she had to start all over again. If she had all these plans on what she would do once her children had moved out then she would be pissed to be unable to do them which might have caused her to resent him.”

“What do they do the parents?” Danni asked, leaning forward so she could see the screen.

“The mother was a secondary school teacher and the father was a postal worker but both of them have retired now.” Steve continued to say, gripping the back of her dress and using it to pull her back so he could see the screen fully.

“Postal workers tend to work in long shift patterns, they often work twelve hours shifts in one stretch so the dad wouldn't have been around much, any time he was in the house he would probably have been sleeping getting ready for his next shift which means the majority of raising Fred would have fallen to his mother. The brother and sister would have moved out by then, possibly to the mainland depending on where they go their degrees from which means that they wouldn't have been around.”

“There’s enough here for us to work with” Steve announced.

“Good to know, I suggest we head down there now and speak to him. “Danni said moving away from the desk towards the bulpen.

It was time for them to get some answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read. 
> 
> An especially big thank you if you have left a comment or some kudos. It means a lot to me

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read!
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed it, an especially big thank you if you've left a kudos or a comment, they are greatly appreciated.


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